Puma White Hunter Knife

[Tex .416]

Does anyone actually use a Puma White Hunter?

It is such an unusual design it intrigues me, but is not a design that I particularly understand.

Just curious.

 

[Charlie64]

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Come to Europe & especially Germany (Puma country) & you will find & see them all over the place - driven hunts, night hunts for boar & more. A great shaped blade for finishing an animal with a push & twist, opens up a deer or pigs lung to end it in a minute or so. A great practical hunting knife.

I have one & also gifted my son one, along with a Puma Skinner.

.

 

[Foxi]

Does anyone actually use a Puma White Hunter?

It is such an unusual design it intrigues me, but is not a design that I particularly understand.

Just curious.

I feel the same way as you do; it's a great knife with a great name.But you can't really work with it; its shape is extremely impractical.
@Charlie 64I also live in "Puma" country, but I've only ever actually seen one, and that was my birthday present for a friend. But did he ever actually wear it, apart from that one evening?

 

[reinwood]

The best knife ever, always with me when hunting, associated with a swiss army knife in the pocket.

The Puma White Hunter has sold over 1.5 million units since its introduction and in peak years up to 30,000 units were produced annually, with the majority being exported to America. The knife was developed in collaboration with the East African hunting community to create a robust tool for hunters. Oswald von Frankenberg und Ludwigsdorf, a passionate hunter and then head of the Puma factory, played a key role in the development of the knife. He ensured that the blade shape was designed to meet the needs of hunters.

Bild: Nimrod Archiv
The knife is characterized by its top-heavy blade with a high-set grind and stable tip. A cleaver edge is ground into the middle of the back of the blade, which is used for rough work such as splitting firewood or chopping bones. The lower back of the blade has jimpings, fine grooves that allow the thumb to rest better. A fine serration in the lower third of the blade makes it easier to cut fish skin and fibrous materials, for example.
The name "White Hunter" refers to the European hunters who hunted big game in Africa. This term was coined by the East African Hunting Society, which advocated the strict regulation of big game hunting in order to prevent poaching. The society was known for its efforts to make hunting sustainable and to protect elephants and other big game species from uncontrolled hunting.

The Puma White Hunter gained additional fame through its use in the Vietnam War. US pilots used the knife as a survival tool, which increased its popularity among soldiers and later also in civilian use. This spread was further promoted by the depiction of the knife in films and books. The movie "The Treasure in Silver Lake" in particular contributed to the popularity of the knife, although the big hype did not start until around 20 years later.

"Thank you for your service."
In addition to its use as a hunting knife, the Puma White Hunter was also marketed as a so-called "car knife", which was specially designed for drivers. It was intended to be carried in the vehicle so that it could be used in a variety of ways in an emergency, for example to get out of a car after an accident or to cut grass and branches to free the car from mud.

Practical, handy and right next to the console - the Puma car knife
The White Hunter has even been used by the GSG 9 and the German Armed Forces. Due to its robustness and versatility, the GSG 9 ordered the knife to equip the then newly founded special unit of the German Federal Police. The Bundeswehr also tested the use of the White Hunter and equipped its pilots with it to provide them with a versatile tool in the fight for survival after a crash. The knife was also used for a time by remote scouts. Through this military use, the knife gained further recognition and consolidated its reputation as a versatile and reliable tool.

As a GSG9 combat knife from 1972 with blackened blade and reinforced rivets.
The Puma White Hunter is not only a functional hunting knife, but also a piece of history that was appreciated worldwide as one of the first survival knives. Its robust construction and versatility have made it a legendary tool that has since become a popular collector's item in its various versions.

source: https://lowreadymagazine.com/en/articles/collector-item-or-survival-knife-the-puma-white-hunter

 

[Longwalker]

Had one, loved the looks, traditional workmanship, and high quality. Found it inconvenient to actually use. Traded it for a very nice custom knife that I prefer to use.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Does anyone actually use a Puma White Hunter?

It is such an unusual design it intrigues me, but is not a design that I particularly understand.

Just curious.

I can't say I've ever understood any "hunting knife" that has a blade longer than about 3.5 or maybe 4 inches. Anything longer than that is too bulky and awkward to carry in the field. The Puma White Hunter has a blade of over 6 inches. Too big for a useful hunting knife, too small for a machete. Maybe useful in butchering back at camp?

I will admit that it does look pretty cool in a display case, but I don't see myself buying one.

 

[ThreeJacks]

I always wanted one and finally purchased one in an auction. I have not used it yet, but I will carry it on my belt and try it.

 

[Beethoven]

1973 edition.

 

[yumastepside]

Its just one of those things.....don't care its impractical......just want one !!!

Roger

 

[PerH]

Selous Scouts used it also and Zim Parks after them .

 

[MS 9x56]

A great example of German over engineering a skinning and dressing tool into a killing tool.

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

Does anyone actually use a Puma White Hunter?

It is such an unusual design it intrigues me, but is not a design that I particularly understand.

Just curious.

Its my favourite knife and it was Don Heath aka Ganyana favourite knife several Selous Scouts used it.It was designed by the East African professional Hunters Asociation. It has an axe and serrated blade in its design ,i iused it but i prefer a model with kartun or rubber grips .Besides that i just love to collect them too.

 

[juan pablo pozzi]

Selous Scouts used it also and Zim Parks after them .

Yes Don Heaths brother and himself for example

 

[Foxi]

Yes, you can use it to slash. That's usually it's good for.
But what do I need a knife for hunting?
For killing
For skinning
For butchering

After almost 48 years of active hunting and countless butchering of my game, I'd like to offer this observation:
Regarding killing:
It happens occasionally, and unfortunately, I've had to quickly dispatch a number of roedeer with a neck stab. For wounded roadaccidents, wounded animals in town, or those attacked by dogs, a shot was out of the question for safety reasons.
A simple Mora knife for USD 20 is ideal for this purpose in terms of blade shape and perfectly adequate.

Someone die hard.
A Puma White Hunter is absolutely unsuitable fot that stab.

With large game like wild boar and red deer, a neck stab is unacceptable; they can still muster forces at the last moment that are beyond your control and can cause serious injury. In such situations, if a shot isn't responsible, you need a sturdy, extremely long knife, preferably double-edged. Our professionals, who go on countless driven hunts for wild boar with their dogs every year, almost always carry such a knife for dispatching game held by the dogs; they rarely use anything else.

for the chest of bigger game



Skinning and butchering:

Try handing a Puma White Hunter to a butcher who earns his living this way—he'll just laugh at you.
The Puma White Hunter impresses with its aesthetics and the craftsmanship of its time (today's versions are nowhere near what it once was).
Furthermore, I don't believe that the former Rhodesian army, which already struggled with a small budget, equipped its soldiers, regardless of unit, with an expensive knife. There was also an embargo against Rhodesia. These must have been privately owned items.
That knife looks impressive.But honestly, have you ever seen a PH in Africa skin and butcher? I never have, and I've hunted in African countries many times. Often the skinner only had garbage in his hands, and I gave them my knife for it..........


Moreover, during that time, every German hunter would bring a Puma White Hunter this as a tip. Some could have built up a real collection by now.
For me, the Puma White Hunter is like a photo model—gorgeous to look at, but unsuitable for everyday hunting.

Only my 2cent

 

[jeanes]

Has anyone heard of or tried a Puma Buffalo Hunter? Possibly a poor man's White Hunter.

 

[spike.t]

One knife that just doesn't do it for me....starting with its looks ....I find nothing appealing...that was from the first time I saw one....had heard about them and wanted to get one...but how shall we say..it wasn't love at first sight....

 

[PerH]

The WH and others inspired this one also

UKW Russon TRACKER Knife | Utah Knife Works

After a literal 40-year wait, the original TRACKER survival knife is now available! This is the knife pattern exactly as designed by my father, Robb Russon, in 1981, and has become probably the most-copied design in survival knives the world over. This design is exactly as conceived as the...

www.utahknifeworks.com

 

[HWL]

A great example of German over engineering a skinning and dressing tool into a killing tool.

Don't call the "White Hunter" over engineered till you have seen the version with the interchangeable blades...

HWL

 

[wingshot74]

I’ve got one with a beat up wooden handle but sound edges. The original sheath is getting a restitch to be ready this week. I’ll carry it in Botswana at the end of the month and upon return it will be shipped off to have the scales replaced with mammoth ivory and ebony. I have some really nice custom hunter’s and a I like my old Randall bushmaster but the WH is my favorite

 

[festuscat]

I was gifted a White Hunter in 1971. It believe it was purchased in the early’60s and owned by my friends father.
Great knife and I take it and use it on all my hunts.