Puma white hunter

[Joe S.]

Found this poor beat up buddy at a shop today and I am considering buying it.

Wondering if $100 is too much on it. I know they wont budge on price but I'm thinking with a little TLC it may be good to go.

But $100?

 

[toysoldier]

To me, a knife is a tool to be used. The name holds no mystique for me, and the blade design seems more than a little useless. I wouldn't give more than $10 for it.

 

[Fox Mike]

Hard to believe what a new one costs. Lookie here: http://pumaknifecompanyusa.com/PUMA0174-White-Hunter-P1.aspx#sthash.zpz4kulV.dpbs

 

[GRAMPS 51]

Hi I sold one last year to a dealer that had some scratches on the blade and my initials cut into the back of the sheath and he gave me $100 for it

Gramps

 

[Rick Courtright]

Hi,

It's more knife than I'm interested in, but Amazon wants close to $350 for a new one, and eBay prices for used ones are all over the chart, starting about $100 or so. Not sure how the scratching on the blade looks in person, but a little work with a polishing wheel may have it looking pretty nice.

Rick C

 

[Joe S.]

They are mainly surface. Not deep at all.

I dont know why i like it. I agree it isnt really a useful design (for me) but i just think it's neat.

 

[Pistolero]

Joe,
If you like buy it, but first place $75 in cash on the counter and point out the scratches to the clerk and let him know that's how much you will pay for it. You will walk out with it for $75. Then as Rick suggested give it a little work on the polishing wheel and and you will have a nice looking blade. I bet the shop makes a little profit and you get a knife that makes you happy.

Regards,

 

[DeletedMember275]

I scored one that, while not "new," still has the sticker on the blade for $100 several years ago. The sheath is slightly discolored in one spot, but the knife itself is pristine - still. I bought it because I've wanted one since forever.

 

[exavid]

I gave a Puma to a friend last year. I told him it was well broken in and had DNA from a lot of critters in that stat handle. I'd used it in Alaska for 25 years, it was a Bowie style. It looked like that one in the picture other than the blade shape. The thing hacked up a lot of caribou, moose, one good sized brownie and a few smaller critters. It was scratched up a bit too, I usually had to give it a swipe or two on the stone while working on a moose or caribou carcass and wasn't too careful with cold bloody hands. I was surprised how much those knives are worth now, I know I didn't pay a lot for it back in 1964.

 

[pruger45]

I wouldn't pay more than $20.00 for it!

 

[GunnyGene]

IIRC, the first time I saw one of these was in that 1968 Rod Taylor movie "Dark of the Sun", when he used it at the ending to take over a tribe of baboons. Good movie.

 

[Brules]

I think it's worth $75 or so.

 

[stevemb]

Have one friend with one, just always thought them a bit pricey for me. Ithaca track nives used to catch my eye, but never bought one of those either. One Gerber Presentation here somewhere. It never left the house. Guess I'd look at Randals before Puma too. I won't ding ya for wanting it, go for it !

 

[Colonialgirl]

Looks like they've had it for a good long while with ALL those spider webs on it; They are losing money they could have invested somewhere, I like the 75 cash on the counter (all 5's so it makes a NICE stack).

 

[Tallbald]

1962. Daddy had cardiomyopathy and was recovering at home in Louisville KY. I received a red Tonka dump truck for Christmas that year at age 4, and because Daddy had to stay in bed there at our home on Paris Drive I took him his gift to his and Mama's bedroom riding on my Tonka truck. It was a White Hunter Puma, from Sutcliffe's Sporting Goods in Louisville.
Fast forward to 2014 and Daddy is long gone (1978). I mounted his White Hunter and my Puma Hunter's Pal from 1974 on a walnut plaque for my son as a Christmas gift. Wow. My memories flood my heart.
Don

 

[k22fan]

I know only slightly more than nothing about Puma knives and certainly not what they are worth, but I do collect knives. Here's a few things to consider while deciding whether to buy this knife. First, do not confuse the value of old tool steel Pumas with the value of modern stainless Pumas. When I passed on them in the 1970s Puma only made tool steel bladed sheath knives that were plated silver with, I think, chrome. Starting in 1964 they all have a date code that you can find easily with a search engine. Second, Most eBay "Buy It Now" items are way over priced and linger there forever. Ignore those and search eBay for sold items. Also do not confuse the value of collectable new in box knives with the value of worn examples. Do you know whether that handle is genuine stag or cow bone grooved and stained to look like stag? It looks like "bone stag" to me.

I do not know what the White Hunter blade is designed to be best at. Why the sharp edge on the back? A fish scaler would make more sense. The bread cutting serrations are not going to saw through much. They mostly obstruct normal whittling. There's no right or wrong in blade design, it's just what you like, but the White Hunter does not appeal to me.

 

[Ugly Hombre]

I would buy it pretty sure, those old Pumas are nice.

 

[WAYNO]

I like this blade. It's capable of heavy and/or large work, but if it's kept very sharp, I can do fine work with it also. I do not care for the herring-bone cutting edge. I have other other great knives that I like in spite of serrations or other saw-edges that I don't like. I've learned to sharpen this area as if it was a knife edge, and forget the saw edge. For that reason, I would not pay top dollar for a knife like this that I planned to use, knowing I was eventually gonna sharpen-over the saw edge, Puma or not. Photographs make little scratches look like grinding marks. I suspect these scratches are not as bad as they look. So...If ya like the blade, and are buying it to use, then $75 for a shooter-grade knife would be fair.

A brand new modern stainless Puma for $350 to hang on a disply board, not so much. :mrgreen:

WAYNO.

 

[cpt-t]

Joe S. I am not a for real knife expert by any stretch. But in the 60`s & 70`s in Viet Nam, the Puma White Hunter was very highly thought of and normally carried by, for real Combat Troops that had seen the Elephant a few times. The Puma White Hunter was a very strong and well made knife and it had a very well made heavy leather sheath. It was not a rare knife but it was not common in VN either. And they sold very quickly for quite a bit of money without any problem, the way I remember it. They were on the same quality level as a Gerber, Kabar, or Case. But not quite as popular as a Randall Knife. IMHO the shape of the blade and the knife's weight was what made them so popular with for real Combat Troops. My Son bought a like new Puma White Hunter several years ago, and He considers it one of the best knives in His collection. He has been offered several hundred dollars for it many times. But buying a knife like the Puma White Hunter is a very personal choice. You either really like them or you don`t.
ken

 

[WAYNO]

Interesting timing. One of these surfaced on a local forum this morning. Brand-new. $200.

https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/puma-white-hunter-knife-new.226725/




WAYNO.

 

[SAJohn]

I have a Puma Game Warden that I bought new in the early 70's that has that "stainless super keen" steel. It is the best folding knife I have ever owned and holds a sharp edge for years even with heavy use cleaning out deer and making camp hot dog cooking sticks.

 

[Joe S.]

Thanks for the comments yall. I am still in the air with it. If this thing was in better shape, or even if the sheath were in good shape, I'd lay down $100 without batting an eye. Who knows, I may yet.