The Cutting Edge – Puma Hunting Knives

Hobbytec - Drop Point Model: P230241 See details Market price: $80.00 Our price: $50.39 (€ 38.27), save 37%

When it comes to hunting knives, Puma is considered by most experts to be the elite, the cream of the crop, the absolute cutting edge in design, utility and pure class. Well-designed of the best quality materials, PUMA knives don’t come cheap – but they’re quality all the way. Each blade is hand-ground, and each knife is assembled by hand. The materials and workmanship have made PUMA knives more than the best quality knife to have in the field – they’re collectors’ items in their own right.

PUMA knives have been handmade in Germany since 1769 – or at least, that’s when Wilhelm Lauterjung wrote down his trademark for the knife makers role. In 1876, his great grandson, Ernest Lauterjung began manufacturing ‘gentleman’s knives’ – pocket knives, stilettos, sabers and hunting knives, in a small factory. By 1900, the company had its name. On May 26, 1900, PUMA-Werk, Lauterjung und Sohn was officially registered in the Solingen registry of businesses. By 1920, the company had to add a second factory to meet the increasing demands for the high-quality knives they manufactured. Between 1946 and the present, designers and engineers for the PUMA company have worked to design the most elegant utilitarian knives in the world. PUMA hunting knives are known the world over for their quality and exceedingly high standards.

In 1953, the company changed its direction slightly to focus on manufacturing functional hunting, fishing, survival, sporting and outdoor knives. In 1956, PUMA designed what is probably its most famous knife ever, the PUMA White Hunter, for an East African hunting organization. For over 200 years, Solingen, Germany has been the source of the finest knives made anywhere in the world, and since 1920, the best of those knives have borne the name PUMA.

Why PUMA?

PUMA knives are made from premium DI.4 steel, each individually drop forged and hardened to hold the keenest possible edge. Each model has a number and a name engraved on the blade, along with the year of its manufacture – a bonus for collectors, who find it easy to date PUMA knives when assigning values. The handles are made of all natural materials, usually stag horn or bone, and every detail is made of the finest material available.

PUMA Knives for Hunting and Sporting

The most popular PUMAs are those that have stood the test of time. Among the most well-known and prized are:

PUMA Bowie Knife

Bowie is the ultimate name in hunting knives, with its wide fixed blade that makes it ideal for hunting, fishing, camping and self-defense. The PUMA Bowie is a full 11” long with a single-edged blade, a genuine stag handle, and a fully riveted tang. This is the knife that Jim Bowie dreamed of when he first commissioned the knife that bears his name.

PUMA Skinner Knife

Skinning knives are a must for hunters, and the PUMA is designed with a blade long enough to give you the option of using a straight, curved or pointed edge to simplify the tasks you need it to perform. It also has a 5 ½” stag handle that’s carved to fit your hand comfortably, and a finger guard to keep your fingers out of harm’s way when dealing with a wet, slippery knife.

PUMA White Hunter

Perhaps the most famous hunting knife ever designed, the White Hunter features a partially serrated blade that is shaped to make all the tasks you use a knife for easier. It’s 11” long overall with a full, fully riveted tang, a built-in finger guard and a genuine stag horn handle. It was first released in 1956, and has grown more popular over the decades. The 50 th Anniversary model is destined to be the ultimate gift for a collector of fine knives. It’s a truly luxurious blade forged of Damascus stainless steel Rockwell tested to 55-60 hardness. The handle is of ebony with nickel silver bolsters, and the included black leather sheath is accented with nickel silver. To further increase its interest to collectors, PUMA is only manufacturing 50 of the 50 th Anniversary edition worldwide. It’s the gift of a lifetime for a serious knife collector.

-Ben Anton, 2006
http://www.lightsandknives.com/hunting_knives.htm