The Puma Waidblatt

[R.C.Reichert]

Looking back at some of the first knives I ever made, I thought they were too thick or obtuse in the bevel to be functional for a knife. Yesterday I was in an antique shop and they had a vintage Puma Waidblatt knife... Holy crap! I never realized how chunky the blades/bevels were on these. The bevel on the Puma Waidblatt looks like it could be for an axe. From what I understand these are really sought after knives and had great German steel, but with that bevel...did these things even cut? Has anyone here actually used one for skinning or whatever, or are these designed as a chopping knife? I'm just curious the functionality/practicality of such a thick bevel on a knife.

 

[john april]

looks like a chopping knife to me.

 

[kwackster]

The Waidblatt could be used for chopping purposes (clearing shooting stands but also for hacking through for instance a pelvis), as well as for a mercy kill on larger game.

For this specific purpose it has a sharp & swedged point which at the same time is relatively wide, and also placed outside of the centerline of the blade.
Due to this design the point has a strong tendency to glance off of bones and into the soft tissues, much better than a symmetric hunting dagger blade with its centered and more narrow point.
The wide & thick area just behind the point (which also creates the good chopping potential) then makes a very large wound channel which leads to more & faster loss of blood and thus a quicker death of the animal.
A similar type of point design can be found on certain smaller Puma hunting knives, designed by the same man who also created the Waidblatt: German head forester Walter Frevert.

This drawing from an old German Puma catalogue shows the use of a Waidblatt for opening the pelvis (or Schloss in German):



Old Puma catalogues state about the Waidblatt that it's edge is strong enough to chop through iron nails (so not careful batonning) without any damage to the edge.
Now this feat is probably possible due to the obtuse factory edge bevels (have never tried it myself), but i know from experience that Pumaster steel can handle much thinner edge angles when used for the tasks it was originally designed for.

 

[R.C.Reichert]

The Waidblatt could be used for chopping purposes (clearing shooting stands but also for hacking through for instance a pelvis), as well as for a mercy kill on larger game.

For this specific purpose it has a sharp & swedged point which at the same time is relatively wide, and also placed outside of the centerline of the blade.
Due to this design the point has a strong tendency to glance off of bones and into the soft tissues, much better than a symmetric hunting dagger blade with its centered and more narrow point.
The wide & thick area just behind the point (which also creates the good chopping potential) then makes a very large wound channel which leads to more & faster loss of blood and thus a quicker death of the animal.
A similar type of point design can be found on certain smaller Puma hunting knives, designed by the same man who also created the Waidblatt: German head forester Walter Frevert.

This drawing from an old German Puma catalogue shows the use of a Waidblatt for opening the pelvis (or Schloss in German):



Old Puma catalogues state about the Waidblatt that it's edge is strong enough to chop through iron nails (so not careful batonning) without any damage to the edge.
Now this feat is probably possible due to the obtuse factory edge bevels (have never tried it myself), but i know from experience that Pumaster steel can handle much thinner edge angles when used for the tasks it was originally designed for.

Thanks for the information!