Puma?

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
Jul 24, 2017
1,163
444
somerset
I'm looking into a selection of there knives, what's flagged up for me is the bowie, skinner, white hunter, nicker and waidblatt all with staghorn ,they look well turned out and for there cost so they should be but are they? I have no reference to the steel they use so what do you think? have you owed any?
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,139
2,879
66
Pembrokeshire
I owned the White Hunter - actually the Auto Messer version - and found it excellent except for the handle, which I found skinny ... and I like thin handles....
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Be wary of modern Pumas. Some are still German made but they cost appropriately. The lower cast ones are likely assembled in Europe from Chinese steel.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Janne has the best advise. I'm still trying to work it out myself. And yes, I misspoke (reversed) saying assembled in Europe from Chinese steel; it's the other way around.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,139
2,879
66
Pembrokeshire
I used mine for general bushy tasks (and cooking - one of the main things it was designed for) and I recall that it performed well.
I do not recall any issues with the steel.
It was a LONG time ago though!
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,401
2,419
Bedfordshire
I bought one of the Puma folders when I was 18, over 20 years ago, and the German steel was a HUGE disappointment. When I first got into knife making and was really looking critically at knives at shows (16-18 years ago) I looked at and handled a White Hunter and was not impressed by design, fit or finish. There were horrible mismatches between the stag and everything it butted up to. It screamed "nasty", but was not cheap.

It struck me that they were a 1970s/80s company trying to compete in the 2000s but hadn't improved their materials or quality to keep pace with what other companies could do and were doing. Changing manufacture to Asia is unlikely to have improved matters. Don't get me wrong, China is making some very good knives, Boker Tech tools just for example, but if the quality I saw in Puma when they were German made is how they do things now, I can't see their being the push for the best quality that Asia can produce.

The only knives I have seen or handled that used stag that I thought would be worth owning have all been hand made. Seems like it is a difficult material to do a good job with at commercial quantities.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,294
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Germanic traditional design.
Looks a bit show off-ig, yes, but they still cut well.

Think Curry Wurst mit Bacon.

Had Hollywood have a bit of culture and taste, Rambo would have had a Puma!
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,114
67
Florida
Germanic traditional design.
Looks a bit show off-ig, yes, but they still cut well.

Think Curry Wurst mit Bacon.

Had Hollywood have a bit of culture and taste, Rambo would have had a Puma!
If Hollywood had had any accuracy Rambo would've carried a Randal.
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE