The Packer isn't one of Puma's prettiest knives. Green ABS plastic handle scales are crosshatched to provide a firm grip in tough weather conditions, but only look functional. The knife's die-cast bolsters are zinc-coated, and all metal parts are sandblasted, including the blade. That decreases the luster and seals pores in the metal against corrosion. The 2-3/4-inch-long 440A high carbon stainless steel blade is hot drop-forged and hollow ground. Each blade tests between 55 and 57 on the Rockwell scale, giving the knife good edge-holding ability without being too hard to sharpen easily.

This slip joint knife opens with two hands but provides a thumb slot -- not just a notch -- in the back of the blade for easier operation. Fully opened, the knife locks in place with a steel liner lock, making it safe for all types of camp work. The 4-1/3-inch length of the handle makes the knife comfortable to use with nearly a full-sized feel.

The Packer comes with a black nylon fabric belt pouch, so you don't have to carry this hefty folder in your pocket. A small lanyard hole in the rear bolster allows attachment of a wrist loop.

See the Puma Earl Lockback for another practical folding knife from Puma.

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Puma Knives New Packer Lockback 4 1 4 Green PU230465 US $110.19   Auction Ends: 25d 3h 11m

GREEN BAY PACKERS AUTHENTIC NFL PUMA CHILDRENS NICE WARM COAT MEDIUM 10 12 US $30.00   0 Bid Auction Ends: 2d 2h 16m

The blade shape of the 440A high carbon stainless steel gives the Medici the deadly look of a medieval dagger, and in use it even handles like one. If you open the Medici with the thumbnail notch and lock the blade, the knife works like a fixed blade and even has the parrying cross-guard of a fighting knife. For ordinary work, the cross-guard prevents slipping towards the cutting edge in wet or cold conditions. When the lockback lever is pressed, the blade and cross-guard rotate back toward the handle. While the blade fits between the liners, the cross-guard seats neatly against the bolster. For any sort of small cutting and piercing tasks, it's an excellent knife.

Cross-guard, bolster, and pommel of polished brass accent the stainless steel blade and the handle slabs of natural stag antler. As with all Puma designs, each knife undergoes many hand operations, and the small differences in technique make every Puma handcrafted knife unique. Every pair of handle slabs is chosen for a close match in shape, but all show individual natural variation.

The Puma Medici delivers stiletto style without the legal problems of automatic knives. Only four inches long when closed and packing a 2-3/4-inch-long blade, it may leave you wishing for more knife. Although we'd like to see a larger version, it's a beautiful pocketknife and definitely another Puma to treasure.

For a Puma knife made in a modified American style, see the Puma Stag Bowie Hunting Knife.

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NEW GERMAN PUMA HANDMADE COLLECTORS KNIFE MEDICI STAG W STAG HORN SCALES TOP US $99.00   Auction Ends: 26d 5h 43m

Puma Medici Germany Stag Folding Guard Lockback Knife US $109.95   Auction Ends: 2d 22h 53m

The three-inch clip point, two-inch sheepsfoot, and 2-1/4-inch spey blades were hand forged at the company's factory in Solingen, Germany, where the main and best Puma product line is still produced. The high carbon D1.4 stainless steel blades have been Rockwell-tested to between 57 and 59, so you know they'll hold an edge. All the materials are high quality, including the stag antler handle slabs and nickel-silver polished bolsters. Puma also makes the Stockman with bone handle slabs, but the antlers are a renewable harvest humanely collected without harm to the animals.

Brass liners protect the folded blades, which snap into position once opened and are held in place firmly by bars of spring steel. Don't consider this a lockback knife, even though the action is solid -- a firm pressure releases the blade for closure. At three ounces and four inches folded length, it's a sturdy knife big enough for real work but not too big for pocket carry. The Puma should last a lifetime if you wipe it down now and then with a lightly oiled cloth and don't lose it in the lake.

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PUMA STOCKMAN STAG German folding knife knives NIB US $44.50   Auction Ends: 8d 2h 15m

PUMA STOCKMAN Brown Bone knife knives PU7741301 New In Box US $17.50   0 Bid Auction Ends: 1d 1h 12m

In the Puma Earl, a folding lockback pocket knife with a closed length of 4 inches, it's not the company logo etched on the hollow ground 2-3/4-inch 440C stainless steel clip point blade that makes the difference. The natural stag handle slabs pinned with brass are nice, but we've all seen that many times. This should look like an ordinary knife, but there's a graceful sweep to the handle that took some artistic sense and manual skill to produce. With slight differences from knife to knife, you can see the ability of the craftsmen of Solingen even in their version of an ordinary pocket knife.

There are a few things you won't get with the Puma Earl, like one-handed opening -- this is the old style that you open with two hands and a thumbnail. The lockback is simple and solid, but again it's a two-handed operation to close the knife safely. Carry it either in the bottom of your pocket or in the belt pouch Puma includes, because in these old-style knives you don't get a pocket clip.

Just got my Buck 110 out for a quick comparison again, and the Puma still looks better. Not big differences, just little ones, but Puma wins.

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BRAND NEW Puma Earl Staghorn Hunter Folding Knife 210900 UNIQUE STAG US $57.95   Auction Ends: 14d 20h 13m

PUMA EARL Stag Folding Hunting knife knives New In Box US $58.50   0 Bid Auction Ends: 2d 23h 58m

Some weight has been shed compared to heavier and older Bowie styles, but the blade stock of nearly one-quarter-inch thickness and the full-width, full tang handle construction still qualify this as a heavy blade. The knife has a simple frontier look with a straight finger guard and double pinned stag bone handle, but the beautifully curved blade and the wide brass bolster give this Bowie a classic look.

For hunters who really do hunt big game, this knife in 440C German high carbon stainless steel could be a good dependable hunting and skinning knife. The blade's shaped well for piercing and is certainly heavy enough to pry apart joints, chop through bone, and still do the delicate work of skinning and butchering game. Most hikers will find this knife too much for the trail, but if you spend a lot of time in the north country hunting for larger game than squirrel and quail, the Coast Grandpa could be just about right. It's a good knife without the fancy decorations that came along later. You can still see the essentials of the frontier in this one.

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Coast C244397 11 inch Damascus Bowie Knife US $140.92   Auction Ends: 25d 20h 31m

The construction of the Skinner's handle varies from the usual flush fitting riveted design and makes the handle itself somewhat stronger than the old pattern. Stainless steel rivets compress brass washers (Puma calls them rosettes) into countersunk holes in the handle slabs, giving the knife a uniquely rugged look. That also makes the grip a little rougher than usual, so it's a point to consider if you're more into function than art. Puma's innovations sometimes become the mark of collector's pieces, so any new feature is bound to attract attention.

Nine and 5/8" in overall length, the knife with full grain leather sheath weighs 7-1/4 ounces, fairly heavy for a small skinner today. Compare it to an equivalent knife built with modern synthetics, and the weight doesn't seem out of place. The 0.14" 440C stainless steel blade balanced with naturally dropped stag antler scales does not feel like a weightless toy. You'll never notice two or three extra ounces while hanging on the belt, but in the hand it makes a huge difference.

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BRAND NEW Puma Skinner Staghorn Hunter Fixed Blade Knife 116393 UNIQUE STAG US $108.95   Auction Ends: 24d 21h 16m

Puma New Pro Skinner Stag STG Fixed Blade Knife 6809020 US $72.99   Auction Ends: 18d 12h 54m

Put the White Hunter IP beside the current model of the one made in Solingen, and it's suddenly clear how the company lowered prices by shipping work out to Spain. The IP is a good knife; the original is a great knife. In other styles, the difference isn't so glaring, but the White Hunter has been Puma's flagship knife for decades. The IP White Hunter costs less than half what the original White Hunter currently does. As a working hunting and skinning knife, it's a good value. As a collector's piece it makes me understand again how much personal pride and individual craftsmanship comes out of the Solingen factory. The art didn't cross over to the Spanish branch as yet.

The purpose of the IP division was to bring Solingen quality and design down to a price level the more average buyer could afford, and the savings are certainly appreciated. Quality is high in the IP line. Buyers should judge this 1.1-pound fixed blade on its own merits, because there's this knife -- the Puma IP White Hunter -- and then there's the real thing. Puma should call the IP version by another name.

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HOT NEW GERMAN PUMA COLLECTORS HUNTING KNIFE WHITE HUNTER WITH LEATHER SHEATH US $299.00   Auction Ends: 28d 13h 32m

NEW GERMAN PUMA LEATHER KNIFE SHEATH FIT FOR THE WHITE HUNTER COLLECTORS KNIFE US $49.95   Auction Ends: 11d 6h 52m

The 6-inch drop point Bowie blade of the 440C high carbon stainless steel knife gives this well balanced hunter 11.25 inches from tip to pommel. Pommel and hand guard of polished brass accent the stag antler that surrounds a full length steel tang. The IP Scout weighs just over a pound, including the well-made leather holster style sheath. If you're looking for an ultralight, keep looking.

The advantages of carrying a full sized sheath knife are pretty overwhelming if you do much real work with a knife. Blade weight comes in handy for camp work where light chopping is the fastest approach. A six-inch blade with a good curve handles skinning and butchering without a problem. If you don't need a knife for heavy work, the extra steel and dependability isn't worth carrying. Deciding you don't need that means you probably will, the first night in camp. Some people travel through the backwoods, and some people live there, even if just a day at a time. There's a good knife for everybody.

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For added security, the dagger's Cordura sheath includes a velcro strap to keep the blade in place, locking down across the blade guard instead of wrapping around the handle. The sheath itself ties down -- always a good idea if running is part of your work. Gear that bounces tends to get lost or make noise.

Though manufactured in Spain, Puma IP knives meet the standards of the Solingen, Germany, facilities. Using modern methods to keep quality high and reduce costs, the IP line brings Puma designs to a wider portion of the marketplace. Fewer of Puma's hand processes went into the manufacture of this blade, but there appears to be no drop in practical quality. There's nothing here but the essentials, the way Applegate would have wanted it. Corrosion resistance and the secure features of the sheath make this a good choice for sailors and adventurous fishermen.

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PUMA 116396 SOLINGEN bowie knife stag new in box dagger US $150.00   Auction Ends: 25d 1h 43m

Puma 301109 Wood Handle Military Boot Dagger Hunter Knife US $26.00   10 Bids Auction Ends: 3h 55m

The stout, 3.75-inch high carbon steel blade -- 4 mm thick Solingen 440A stainless -- is the visible part of a steel blank that runs the full length of the full tang handle. The bolster is solid stainless steel polished to the same mirror finish as the blade. The Wapiti has the natural stag antler handle slabs that have been Puma's standard for decades -- these are cut from naturally shed antlers, bringing that material into the category of a renewable resource. Finger notch and sculpted grip combine with the familiar antler texture to create slip-free handling.

Only eight inches long, this knife weighs a solid 0.65 pounds. Simple and strong, the Wapiti is built to do work with enough steel to twist with leverage and confidence. A brown leather belt sheath is included, and the knife is covered by Puma's limited lifetime warranty. It's not a blade you'll need to baby. Craftsmanship is excellent -- many parts of the process are still done by hand, making every knife unique.

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HOT NEW GERMAN PUMA COLLECTORS HUNTING KNIFE WHITE HUNTER WITH LEATHER SHEATH US $299.00   Auction Ends: 28d 13h 32m

PUMA BLACKWOOD MUSKRAT HUNTING POCKET KNIFE NR US $5.50   2 Bids Auction Ends: 18h 23m