Puma Bowie

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kossetx

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Apr 11, 2017
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Howdy folks, I just received my first Puma Bowie. Nice knife. It's nib from 2001. My question is are all swages on their bowies sharp? This one is almost as sharp as the blade. I've just never seen a clip that sharp. Thanks

swage-top edge of the clip point
 
Nice knife but why do manufacturers put stickers on the blade? That's always been a pet peeve of mine. Same with sunglasses- get a new pair, nice, unscratched, but hey..here's a big ugly sticker you gotta peel off, hope you don't scratch those lenses! Yes the blade is steel and probably not gonna get marred up when you take the sticker off but why the hassle in the first place? Minor league in the grand scheme but it still annoys me.
 
That's Puma's trademark Rockwell hardness point-to sticker that they used to put on their traditional hand-ground and assembled fixed blades. It's a good sign that it's mint condition usually. Yes, the wedges were usually always sharpened. I used to have several as an ex-Puma collector. Always thought of the Puma Bowie as more of a fighter than a utility bowie.
 
MayHemAndHaw said:
Nice knife but why do manufacturers put stickers on the blade? That's always been a pet peeve of mine. Same with sunglasses- get a new pair, nice, unscratched, but hey..here's a big ugly sticker you gotta peel off, hope you don't scratch those lenses! Yes the blade is steel and probably not gonna get marred up when you take the sticker off but why the hassle in the first place? Minor league in the grand scheme but it still annoys me.
Click to expand...

They were trying to explain the dimple on the blade and also show you the blade was tested.
 
kossetx said:
They were trying to explain the dimple on the blade and also show you the blade was tested.
Click to expand...

That does explain it. Probably a good idea too otherwise everybody would be griping about a dimple in the blade. I didn't notice it until you pointed it out but were there not a sticker I'd for sure be wondering why they sent me a "second" with a noticeable dent in the blade. Thanks for the heads up.
 
MayHemAndHaw said:
That does explain it. Probably a good idea too otherwise everybody would be griping about a dimple in the blade. I didn't notice it until you pointed it out but were there not a sticker I'd for sure be wondering why they sent me a "second" with a noticeable dent in the blade. Thanks for the heads up.
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If you have never had a Puma you owe it to yourself to buy one. IMO some of the best knife steel ever. It's generally considered that pre '86 is the best but I don't have a problem with any 5 digit knife.
 
This info from Puma from near the time that knife was made (I think it is late 90s) tells some things about their steels.
7B7wBlx.jpg
 
Fact: Pumaster steel = Böhler NWN80 carbon steel with hard chrome layer.
Recently confirmed by Puma factory in Germany.

Fact: New Stainless Super Keen Cutting Steel is a high carbon and high molybdenum steel.
Info from old Puma documentation.
Based on sharpening/polishing and using it my educated guess would be that it is either 154CM or it's twin 14-4 CrMo.

The steel in OP's knife is neither.
 
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Puma clip-point grinds are classic... have a 90's folder with a superb bowie/clip point... a thing of beauty!
 
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