Knife Review: Puma TAC-1

Alarion

Alarion

Joined
Nov 26, 2001
Messages
1,375
I recently had the dubious privilege of handling the new Puma TAC-1 "tactical" knife...
You can find a picture here:
http://www.outdoormania.com/belt.htm

Without judging the aesthetics of this knife, which are a pretty subjective matter, technically this knife can be summed up as the epitome of the hype-only no-quality knife.
The only good thing is the grip, which would deserve a far better blade.
The blade, though manufacturd out of high quality steel, has a weird shape, deprived of any functionality. The spur near the point impedes any real deep penetration in stabbing tests, the edge, though being chisel ground, a grind which supposedly offers a keener thinner edge, is thick as an axe and is more a wedge than an edge. The chisel grind, as always happens, has been ground on the WRONG side for a right handed user. All in all it seems a half finished slab of steel worked to look as a supposedly mean knife.
Moreover the finish of the blade is messy, with ground marks going every way.
The only judgement that can be given on this knife is: a waste of good steel.
Another knife from the same firm, fitted with stag scales, had large gaps between tang and scales, mostly filled with some kind of plaster or epoxy paste, which left holes anyway. The blade was brush polished with brush marks going everywhere, moreover it was ground in such a way that the edge formed a very dull angle. Not good for a skinner, which was supposedly the task for which the knife was built.

I'm very suprised of finding such cr@p (because there is no other word to define these pieces) from a firm which was famous for producing very high quality knives.
:(
 
Yeah, remember when Puma used to make good knives? Now, most of the stuff is plastic handled with poor fit and finish. :barf:
 
Is there a secondary edge bevel? Have they said what is the purpose of that knob on the spine behind the point?

-Cliff
 
Yes, there is a secondary edge bevel (as if that dull wedge of a blade wasn't enough). In the picture at the URL I posted it's not readily visible, but you can definitely see it if you know it's there. They made no statement about what the stud on the blade is for...
Here is all I could find on Puma website:


"An excellent tactical, fixed bladed knife, used by the German Military. The sheath is made in two parts. The "Duty Clip" velcros around your belt and has a slot for the sheath to easily slide in or out. The strap which holds the knife in the sealth has a plastic "dog collar" type clip. The blade is 6.75" and the overall length is 13". The blade is stainless steel, with textured thermoplastic scales, and a cordura sheath with a quick release swivel belt attachment. "

That is: hype, hype and more hype...
I'd like to have some more documents about this alleged use by the German Military... :rolleyes:
 
Just a comment about chisel grinds...

For a fighting knife, which i think is the intended use of that knife, the chisel grind ought to be on the left side: a.k.a. that knife is correctly ground for a right hander. With thrusts it doesn't matter much, but of you are slashing, your more powerful/natural slashes will be to the inside of your body, so the flat side of the knife will be on the bottom. That is what you want. Not for utility, a righty wants the grind on the other side, absolutely.
 
"The quality of the blade is of course "Rockwell" tested like all Puma knives."

YEESH! :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
Crayola, you are obviously right, but evidence makes me think this is only an accident, not a wanted characteristic, as the chisel grind is anyway useless if made that way, and prevents any multi-purpose use of the knife. There surely worst knives than this, just no one pops to mind right now :D
The chisel grind has never been used historically, but on very rare weapons. There must be a reason for this, I think ;)
 
I assume Puma has an email address at which they can be contacted? (Sorry, I didn't scroll that far down the page - the typos and spelling errors started to make me a bit dizzy).

If anyone has legitimate comments about design and quality issues, send 'em off to Puma. They're in business to make sales, to make a profit. If they can be made to understand that their current product line won't attract legitimate knife knuts and is more suited to the flea market crowd, they might take the hint. And if they don't, they deserve to suffer the same fate of any company that produces shoddy products.

"You can only sell a bad product once."
 
that should account for the poor fit & finish. the reason the grind is on the wrong side is the same as most of the other "tactical" chisel grinds. when you hold it in your right hand you see the grinds and the logo WOW!
 
I would not buy a German knife at the moment. From what I read almost everywhere, they are overpriced while offering poor quality.
 
Have they said what is the purpose of that knob on the spine behind the point?
Click to expand...

They haven't said; but it is probably there to limit their liability. It makes the knife virtually useless as a weapon. Not that it was much of a knife to begin with.

n2s
 
BINGO!
You said it as a joke, but maybe it's to prevent easy false edge sharpening...
It may seem absurd but I've heard dumbest things made due to a law.
I.e.: in germany you can't buy a black H&K USP or a Walther P99 because it's a military weapon.
You can get the SAME weapon in GREEN hued plastic, as it's no more military... :rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by Alarion
I.e.: in germany you can't buy a black H&K USP or a Walther P99 because it's a military weapon.
You can get the SAME weapon in GREEN hued plastic, as it's no more military... :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Disclaimer: IANAL

Sorry, but this is not true.

As long as you have a permission to own a firearm, the color of the handgun doesn´t matter at all.

But military-looking rifles have to be modified to not look like an assault weapon anymore. For example, there is this HK self-loader (a modified version of the G36, the new assault rifle of the German military), which - besides other modifications - has to be painted grey to not resemble the military original.
 
That is, the color AND shape must be different...
I know the rifle, here is imported in balck. It's a very fine 5.56 rifle, one of the best I've seen.
 
AFAIK that´s true with rifles, but the pistols you´ve mention are available in black for people with a permission to own a gun.
 
the stub on the blade does have a purpose, it's to catch fish.

This is supposed to be a combat/survival knife, and when you tie this blade to the end of a stick you have a spear. And that stub is supposed to hold the fish and other small games onto the spear.

Now i don't know if this will actually work, I will have to test mine out next time i go camping.
 
He answered a question asked and provided relevant information to the thread. It would hardly be better to start another thread and make the comments there ghostsix style or not make the comments.

Neomentat, have you used the knife signifiantly yet? Any comments?

-Cliff
 
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