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Friday, January 31, 2014

The Bark River Knives Magnum Fox River Knife Review

Formerly known as Bark River Knife & Tool, BRK is a family owned company located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. BRK is run by veteran knifesmith Mike Stewart who teaches and employs a number of skilled artisans who create some of the prettiest production knives on the market today.

One of my favorite Bark River designs is the Fox River “Magnum” Knife.



This knife of 11 1/4 inches features a 6 1/4 inch long, A2 steel drop Point blade that has a Rockwell hardness of 58-60 .

It also features a very ergonomic reverse taper handle available in a wide range of handle slabs from different colors of Micarta, to hard wood, to burl wood, to exotic hard wood, to natural materials such as antler and bone. Each of these materials can come with or without a metal bolster which you can choose for yourself.
The BRK Fox River Magnum is supplied with a heavy-duty, pouch-type, leather sheath made by Great Lakes Leatherworks.

FYI, as hunting knives go, a knife with a four inch blade has somehow become the standard length these days and hunters who carry knives with longer blades are often viewed as either neophytes or paranoid! However, it has been my experience that a knife with a six inch blade is VERY handy not only as a camp/survival knife but as a hunting knife as well. And I believe that many professional guides will agree with me.

Consequently, the Fox River Magnum knife tends to fill this bill with near perfection.


As a part of BRK’s Professional series, not only is the Fox River Magnum large enough for general camp chores, it is absolutely perfect for removing the hide from, and then processing, large game animals such as elk and moose.



In addition, not only does the drop point blade shape place the tip out of the way when skinning game, the edge has a slight positive forward angle which gives you more leverage when cutting. Plus the blade is flat ground for the best possible combination of toughness and sharpness.

However, the A2 steel used in this knife is not a stainless steel and thus, it does require more care than a stainless steel blade to prevent it from rusting.


On the other hand, this steel contains 0.95% – 1.05% Carbon, 4.75% – 5.50% Chromium, 0.90% -1.40% Molybdenum, 1.0% Manganese, and 0.15% – 0.50% Vanadium and 0.30% Nickel. This composition makes it a very hard steel. Molybdenum and the Manganese makes it durable and tough and the Vanadium content highly refines the grain structure of the steel so that it will take and keep a finer edge



Last, I really like the fact that the handle is specifically designed to completely fill the hand without being over sized.

Consequently, I am highly impressed with the BRK Fox River Magnum knife. In fact, the ONLY thing that I would change about it is the steel because I have a distinct preference for stainless steels over non-stainless ones.


Apart from that, I am extremely pleased with the design of this knife and I would be very pleased to carry it as either a dedicated survival knife or as a large game hunting knife.
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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

The Columbia River Knife & Tool Razel SS7 Survivalist’s Knife

Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT) was founded by Rod Bremer in Tualatin, Oregon in 1994 as a manufacturer of knives, tools, and accessories. Today, CRKT offers a broad line of purpose-driven sport, work and professional knives and tools.

The CRKT Razel




According to CRKT, their purpose is to provide useful improvements and entirely new product concepts that embrace company’s historic core values of quality, innovation, and value.

Thus, CRKT has employed some of the most innovative custom knife makers and designers in the industry to create their knife, tool and accessory products so that the hottest custom designs are made available to the consumer.

The CRKT Razel is a great example of such product.

The CRKT Razel  has an overall length of 12 1/4.” It has a 7 1/4”, chisel point blade with a hollow saber grind and a satin finish made from 1/4″ thick 9Cr18MoV stainless steel hardened to 58-60 Rockwell.

The spine of the blade features a 3 3/4” serrated section that incorporates patented Veff™ serrations. In addition, the full tang handle has a bottle opener and a pointed steel glass breaker. The handle slabs are made from polished, resin impregnated fiber. Plus, the knife is supplied with a multi-position Kydex sheath.


The CRKT Razel was designed by John Graham and was intended to be a cross between a straight razor with the heft of a clever and a carpenter’s chisel. It includes a short, serrated section on the spine for cutting string, rope or tape. While this has got to be one of the strangest survival knives I have seen yet, I have to admit that the concept does have its merits.



In fact, I can’t think of a single rule that states that a survival knife has to have sharp point on the end instead of a sharp edge. However, the lack of a sweep on the tip does preclude the knife from being used as a skinning knife to remove the hide from harvested game animals.

On the other hand, the long, slightly curved, edge is perfect for carving and slicing and the slight, positive forward angle makes it a very effective chopping tool. Also, the hollow, saber grind on the edge provides an excellent combination of sharpness and toughness.

While I have never actually used a knife with a chisel point instead of a sharp point in the field, I very strongly suspect that if I were to have a couple of weeks in the woods with this knife, I could find a myriad of uses for the chisel point.


However, I have to admit that I don’t fully grasp the purpose of the Veff™ serrations on the spine since I don’t do a lot of string, rope or tape cutting when I am surviving off of the land but I suppose that there might be an unforeseen use for it.



In addition, the premium stainless steel 9Cr18MoV (which is very similar to 440C) is a good choice for a knife designed for heavy-duty outdoor use as either a chopping or prying tool since it contains 0.95% Carbon, 16.0% Chromium, 0.30% Manganese, 0.30% Molybdenum and 0.10% Nickel.

Also, I really like the shape of the handle and I suspect that the “polished, resin impregnated, fiber” slabs are either black Micarta or G10 and, while I can see why you might need a steel glass breaker point on the pommel if you are a bush pilot or a helicopter pilot, I simply cannot see myself using the built-in bottle opener to pop the top on my favorite microbrew in the middle of the wilderness unless someone has opened a new bar that I am unaware of.

So, even though I do think that the CRKT Razel has got to be one of the weirdest knives I have seen yet (and I have seen some weird ones,) I have to admit that it is an interesting concept that deserves some actual field testing before one offhandedly disparages the design.


On the other hand, the knife is certainly well constructed from high quality materials and, aside from its strange appearance, it should be an excellent tool for the purpose of outdoor survival.
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The Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri SK5 Review

Cold Steel, Inc. was founded in 1980 as a company dedicated to making the strongest and sharpest knives in the world. Over the last three decades, Cold Steel has been at the forefront of the many innovations that have helped to define the knife industry as a whole.



New ground was also broken with the introduction of unique new blade steels like San Mai III as well as the “Tri-Ad Lock” locking mechanism for folding knives. Therefore, Cold Steel has remained true to their core philosophy of constantly striving to make the world’s strongest and sharpest knives.

The Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri

The Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri is a 17 inch long knife that features a 12 inch long, 0.313 inch thick drop point, recurve edged blade that is available in your choice of either SK-5 high carbon steel (non-stainless) steel or VG-1 San Mai III stainless steel.

Each of the mentioned blade steel choices has different properties. The VG-1 San Mai III version has a retail cost of $699.99 vs. a retail cost of $314.99 for the SK-5 version. (For the purpose of this review, I will focus on the less expensive knife.).


This knife also features a flat ground bevel, a deeply checkered Kray-Ex grip molded over a full tang that is specifically designed to enable the user to retain a grip on the handle when chopping or slashing.



In addition, the knife includes an extremely well-designed Secure-Ex sheath which you can securely attach to your belt, pack, etc. using the supplied, detachable, belt loop or one of the many holes incorporated into the edges of the sheath.

In my last four articles on this web site, I have written about three ethnic outdoor knife designs, the Parang, the Bolo, and the Golok; all of which originated in either Nepal, Malaysia, or the Philippines.

However, there is a fourth ethnic knife design that also hails from Nepal that makes a very efficient heavy chopping tool much like the Parang and Bolo knives and that knife is called a Kukri.

Please note that there are two versions of this knife design designated as “eastern” and “western” designs and that the blade shape can vary drastically depending on the type, the intended use, and the knifesmith who made it.

Consequently, what most Americans think of as a Kukri knife is the “western” version carried to this day by the famous Gurkha regiment of the Royal Nepalese Army known as the “Brigade of Gurkhas” (formally known as “The Gurkha Rifles”).


In fact, there is one situation report from a battle field in North Africa that truly exemplifies the effectiveness of this knife design and it reads: “Enemy losses: ten killed, ours nil. Ammunition expenditure: nil.”



Consequently, the Cold Steel Kukri was based upon the “western” design and, due to its extreme drop point blade shape, it makes a VERY effective chopping tool because the Kukri blade’s distinctive forward drop is intended to aid the cutting action by having the edge maintain an angle (like a guillotine) which provides more of a “slicing” action rather than having a straight edge striking at right angles to the target.

However, theses extreme western designs need to be paired with a smaller, general purpose, knife in order to be truly effective as a survival tool. In addition, the SK-5 steel (a Japanese equivalent of American 1080 steel) used in this version of the Tail Master, and hardened to 57-58 RC, is somewhat similar to the AUS 8A that my Russell Camp Knife is constructed from.

FYI, 1080 steel is a high carbon steel with a Carbon content of 0.81%, a Manganese content of 0.75%, a Phosphorus content of 0.04%, a Sulphur content of 0.05% and a Silicone content of 0.22%. The carbon content and lean alloy make this a shallow hardening steel with a quenched hardness normally between RC 60-64 depending on exact carbon content.

This combination of factors makes this one of the toughest steels available because, when quenched properly, it produces a near saturated lathe Martensite with no excess Carbides, avoiding the brittleness of higher carbon materials.

Therefore, this steel is particularly well suited to applications where strength and impact resistance is valued above all other considerations and will produce blades of almost legendary toughness. 

However, according to the Cold Steel website and as per quenched by Cold Steel, SK-5 steel has a Rockwell hardness near RC 57-58 and produces a mixture of carbon rich Martensite with some small un-dissolved carbides and the excess carbide increases abrasion resistance and allows the steel to achieve an ideal balance of very good blade toughness with superior edge holding ability.



Moving on to the handle, the deeply checkered Kray-Ex material is very comfortable to hold, it provides a positive grip when wet, and absorbs shock with chopping with the knife. In addition, this knife includes a Secure-Ex (Kydex) sheath which, like the handle material, is resistant to water and is also very long-wearing.

So, while this type of knife design may appear a bit strange to Western eyes, it is actually very useful as a survival knife especially when combined with a smaller general purpose knife.


The Cold Steel Kukri combines a very tough steel with an ergonomic and shock absorbing, non-slip, handle material that is impervious to water, cracking, chipping and abrasion. Thus, whenever, heavy chopping tasks need to be performed in the field, the Cold Steel Gurkha Kukri is an excellent choice.
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Monday, January 20, 2014

Blackjack Model 125 Hunting Knife Review

In 1987, two gentlemen named Mike Stewart and Steven Lewis formed Blackjack Knives in Los Angeles, CA. With the intention of importing and selling Chris Reeve’s range of South African fixed blade knives as well as developing their own range of knives.

Consequently, Blackjack’s first, non-Chris Reeve knife, was the “Mamba”. These knives were designed and ground by Mike Stewart and released in 1987 with the logos chemically etched onto the blade.


Unfortunately, the company was poorly managed and nearly went bankrupt the same year the Mamba was released. However, the company managed to survive its first brush with death. As the company recovered and began to grow, Blackjack began to expand its product line and moved their production to Seki City, Japan where Mike’s knives were produced by the Kencrest Corporation.

However, although the Japanese-produced knives were praised for their quality, profit margins for Blackjack were small because of the weakness of the American Dollar against the Japanese Yen at the time. Then, compounding matters, Mike also began having trouble with the Japanese producers because the knives they produced sometimes differed slightly from the prototypes sent to them.

Therefore, in 1991, Blackjack Knives moved its production back to the United States and set operations in Effingham, Illinois with the help of a small investment firm that had approached Mike about investing in his company. Unfortunately, at this point (according to the reports I have read), Mike Stewart was reduced to the level of an employee as his company became controlled by a board of directors.


Then, in 1995, the company was indicted on federal bank fraud charges for allegedly defrauding the Murphy Wall Street Bank and was forced to close its doors shortly afterward. However, the company is now back in business under the same name but, with an entirely different model line.

Very reminiscent of Bo Randall’s designs, the Blackjack Model 125  has an overall length of 9 1/2” with a 5”, Drop Point blade with a flat ground bevel and a convex ground edge, a half-choil and an extra-long ricasso made from non-stainless A2 tool steel that is hardened to 58 Rockwell. In addition, this knife features a brass bolster with a single quillion and a stacked leather handle with decorative washers over a partial tang with a brass butt cap. Last, each Blackjack Model 125 is supplied with a “top quality leather sheath” made by Sharpshooter Sheath Systems.

Like many professional hunting guides, when it comes to hunting knives, I prefer a knife with a 5” to 6” blade (especially when processing large game) over the more commonly preferred 4” blade length. I also like a knife that is aesthetically pleasing to me and I absolutely demand a blade steel that is tough as nails and will hold an edge forever (or at least until I get finished with the whole animal!).

In addition, I also like a knife with a handle that is not only comfortable to hold and use, I like for it to look pretty as well. However, out of all of the production knife manufacturers out there today, VERY few of them meet these criteria! Instead, it seems to me that the majority of today’s hunting knives look more like tactical knives with bead blasted or coated blades and black or grey Micarta or G10 handle slabs in place of the beautiful nickel-sliver bolsters and exotic and burl hard woods of old.


For all these, I find the new Blackjack Model 125 to be a VERY refreshing sight for sore eyes!

To me, this knife is reminiscent of the original Bo Randal designs and yet, the blade of the Blackjack Model 125 is not like anything Bo ever produced. Besides being one of the prettiest blade designs I have seen in a long time, it is also very .

Starting at the choil, the straight edge is plenty long enough for slicing and the shape of the sweep is absolutely perfect for removing the hide from game animals like deer, elk, caribou and moose. Also, the subtlety curved spine combined with the long straight false edge at first gives the impression of a California Clip Point blade design. But upon closer examination, you can see that it is actually a Drop Point. Very clever!

In addition, the stacked leather handle is not only ergonomically shaped, it is super tough as well. The fact that it looks good does not hurt my feelings any either. Plus, although I normally don’t like choils or long ricassos, I can see where it could be useful on this knife if you felt a need to choke up on the blade for better control or more leverage.

Also, while I don’t care for brass bolsters or butt caps either because they inevitably tarnish, I have to admit that they are a nice compliment to the stacked leather handle and in fact, are more appropriate than stainless steel on this particular knife design.


Last, while I really don’t like non-stainless steel blades because they require considerably more care to keep them corrosion free than stainless steel blades do, the A2 tool steel that the Blackjack Model 125 is made from is extremely tough and very hard since it contains 0.95%-1.05% Carbon, 4.75%-5.5% Chromium, 1.0% Manganese, 0.9%-1.40% Molybdenum, 0.15%-0.5% Vanadium and 0.30% Nickel.

However, with less than 10.5% Chromium, it is not a stainless steel. So, while it does meet my criteria of being both very tough and yet hard enough to hold and edge forever, it does not meet my requirement of being a stainless steel. However, two out of three is not bad!

Thus, overall, the Blackjack 125 is a very nice hunting knife and, as long as you don’t mind the extra work of caring for a non-stainless steel blade, I believe that you would be very pleased with this knife’s ability to hold an edge and yet, not chip or break when separating vertebrae or prizing hip joints from their sockets.
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Sunday, January 19, 2014

Buck/Ron Hood “Thug” Review

The Buck ‘Thug’ fixed blade survival knife was designed by Ron Hood. It features a 7” drop point blade made from 5160 high carbon steel (Rockwell Hardness unknown) coated with a matte black finish to prevent corrosion. The blade also features a deep, hollow ground, bevel combined with a thick spine making it very sharp but still impervious to shock generated by light chopping tasks.

In addition, the handle is built from linen Micarta and it incorporates Buck’s proprietary Shock Mitigation System (SMS) to alleviate shock and wasted energy when chopping. Plus, it has a large finger choil and a grooved section along the back of the spine to provide the user with more leverage and greater control when carving or performing other detailed carving activities.



Plus, it also features an exposed lanyard loop at the back of the handle. Lastly, the Buck “Thug” is supplied with a heavy duty M.O.L.L.E. compatible nylon sheath.

Although I am not personally a big fan of Buck knives, I have to admit that the Buck “Thug” is a well designed knife for the stated purpose of outdoor survival.

At 7″, the drop point blade is long enough to perform well as a general purpose knife. The hollow ground bevel on the blade enables the user to sharpen the blade to a very sharp edge. The matte black finish helps to impede corrosion.

In addition, the 7″ length is long enough to serve effectively as a light chopping tool but is not so long as to preclude the user from also employing it effectively as a skinning knife.



In addition, I personally do not care for the large finger choil ground into the back of the blade because it places the starting point of the edge farther from the user’s hand which in turn, reduces leverage when carving with the knife.

Also, the use of 5160 alloy steel has both good and bad aspects. For instance, alloy steels exhibit higher strength, hardness and wear resistance than carbon steels. Thus, they are used in a wide range of industries. Therefore, 5160 alloy steel creates a knife with excellent edge retention that is also very tough so that it will resist chipping and breaking under hard use.

However, since alloy steels contain less than 4% chromium, they are not stainless steels (requires greater than 12.5% to qualify as a stainless steel.) Therefore, they do require extra care to prevent corrosion unless they are coated with a non-corrosive finish.

In addition, the shape of the handle does demonstrate considerable forethought concerning the ergonomics of the knife.



Although Buck does not list either the overall length of the knife or the length of the handle on their web site, the handle is designed such that the handle slabs can be easily removed so that the knife can be lashed to a stave to form a makeshift spear in the event that you find yourself threatened by predatory animals.
In addition, I do like the textured, black, linen Micarta handle slabs since Micarta is an extremely tough material that will not chip, split or crack under extreme duress. And not only is it impervious to changes in temperature, it is also waterproof and thus, it will not absorb moisture the way non-stabilized wood slabs will.

However, I am of two minds concerning the fact that the handle slabs are removable. On one hand, removable slabs do allow the knife to be lashed to a stave for use as spear but, not having the handle slabs permanently affixed to the tang means that they can come loose on their own or be lost if purposely removed from the tang.

Last, I really like the design of the M.O.L.L.E. compatible nylon sheath since nylon is also an extremely tough material that is both waterproof and impervious to moisture absorption. And designing it such that it is M.O.L.L.E. compatible provides numerous different options for attaching the knife to your gear.




Consequently, I am very pleased with the overall design and construction of the Buck Hood/Thug (if not the price) and I would certainly feel like I was well equipped if I were carrying it in the field. But, with a retail price tag of $200.00, I feel like this knife is overpriced compared to some others on the market. However, in all probability, this is due to the use of the unconventional 5160 alloy steel. But, if I were willing to spend that much on a hard use survival knife, there are other brands and models of survival knives that I would choose over the Buck Hood/Thug.
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Saturday, January 18, 2014

Thoughts on the S.O.G. Creed Knife

The story of SOG’s inception began in Vietnam, where members of a highly classified US special ops unit carried a unique combat knife into the jungle on covert missions. This special unit was known as MACV-SOG (Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group) and its existence was once wholeheartedly denied by the US Government!

Consequently, SOG has created the Creed Fixed Blade Knife as part of their “outdoor” line of fixed blade knives.


This knife features overall length of 12 1/8 inches; a clip point blade that measures 7 1/2” inches in length and is made from 1/4” thick, AUS-8 stainless steel hardened to 57-58 Rockwell ; stainless steel quillions, a handle made from molded Kraton with a checkered surface and finger grooves, a stainless steel butt cap with a lanyard hole and, it is supplied with a heavy-duty leather sheath.

While I happen to really like SOG knives, it seems to me that their main focus is on tactical knives. However, they do have a few designs like the “Creed” that would actually serve well as dedicated survival knives.
While the blade of this knife somewhat resembles that of a Persian Scimitar, it is actually rather difficult to classify because, while the SOG web site calls it a clip point but, it is technically a tailing point because the point is positioned above the spine. Yet it also exhibits a distinct clip with a false edge.


Regardless of how you classify it, however, this is one blade design that really works!



With a 7 ½” blade made of AUS-8 stainless steel which is available with or without a hard black titanium nitride finish, the weight forward design of this blade is well configured for light to medium chopping tasks. The straight edge combined with the long “sweep” and the shallow “belly” are perfect for carving, slicing and splitting as well as for removing the hide from harvested game animals.

In addition the deep hollow grind enables the user to put an extremely sharp edge on this knife and with a Rockwell Hardness of 57-58, the AUS-8 steel will hold an edge very well without chipping because it contains 0.70% to 0.75% Carbon, 13 to 14.5% Chromium, 0.10% to 0.30% Molybdenum (bonds with the Chromium during forging to form hard, double carbide, to improve the abrasion and corrosion resistance of the steel) and 0.10% to 0.26% Vanadium (produces a fine grain structure in the steel which enables the edge to be sharpened to a very keen edge).


Consequently, this steel is an excellent choice for a dedicated survival knife because it is highly corrosion resistant and it will hold an edge well. In addition, although I don’t care for the double quillions (as I would prefer only one,) I do appreciate the fact that they too are made from stainless steel.



The checkered surface and the finger grooves on the Kraton handle provide the user with a positive grip. Kraton is impervious to absorbing moisture as well as chipping, cracking, or splitting. This handle material also provides the user’s hand with a bit of shock absorption whenever the knife is used for chopping.

Consequently, like all SOG knives, the “Creed” is a very well designed and strongly built knife that is constructed from an excellent choice of materials for the intended purpose. Also, due to its design and construction, the SOG Creed would make an excellent choice for a dedicated outdoor survival knife.
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Puma White Hunter Hunting Knife Review

The PUMA White Hunter knife is handmade in Solingen, Germany. It has long set the standard for the ultimate hunting knife. In fact, this knife was originally developed in 1956 in conjunction with the East African Professional Hunter’s Association to be the leading knife for big game hunting.

Consequently, the Puma White Hunter’s 6” drop point blade is made from German-grade 1.4116 stainless steel chosen for edge retention, toughness and corrosion resistance. During the smelting process of the initial steel bars, trace elements such as carbon and silicon are added to maintain the temper ; while chromium is added to inhibit rust.



Other trace elements such as manganese, phosphorus, sulfur and molybdenum are added to give the steel better structural strength and consistency by aligning the molecules more evenly during cooling. Then, after the initial steel bars are formed, the bar stock is heated to 3150-4200 degrees Fahrenheit, the blank is placed between two dies and is then mechanically forged under 2200 pounds of pressure to fit the shape of the dies. In fact, not only does the hot-drop forging process provide the blade with its initial shape, it also further improves the molecular structure of the steel.

Then, once the White Hunter’s blade is forged and cooled, it is then tempered and hand finished in 22 separate steps by skilled craftsmen; each step incorporating increasingly fine lubricants, oil coolants and special polishing grease.



In addition, as a compliment to the fine steel blade, the PUMA White Hunter features handle slabs made from the antlers of the wild stag which are formed via meticulous manufacturing process to make this knife a truly unique hunting tool.

First, each scale is boiled, stabilized and dried over a period of weeks. Then, the slabs are individually cut and hand fitted to the knife. Brass rivets are then used to attach the scales to the tang. Last, the rivet heads are filed. And finally, the handle is burnished to a precise size and shape for optimal fit and function.
In fact, I remember that when I was a kid, local hardware stores were very common and every hardware store you went into had display cases full of Case, Buck and Old Timer knives. But occasionally, you would run across a special store that had a display of German-made Puma knives. Thus, just like every other budding knife aficionado, I too would spend countless minutes staring at those cases until I was forcefully dragged away by a parent. And thus, the Puma White Hunter has always represented the pinnacle of knife perfection for me.

Of course, when I was a kid, I didn’t know about the East African Professional Hunters Association and yet, now that I am both older and far more experienced as a hunter, I can see a certain genius in the design of this knife since it was designed to be both a skinning tool and a butchering tool in one.

For instance, the broad tip on the blade makes it much stronger than a Clip Point or a standard Drop Point and the extra tip strength is very handy when separating vertebrae and prying ball joints from their hip sockets. Also, the broad tip, combined with the recurved edge, creates more belly in the sweep; thus lengthening the cutting edge. Yet, at the same time, the dropped point positions the tip closer to the center line of the knife where it is out of the way. In addition, by combining the broad tip with a recurved edge, a considerable amount of weight is placed well forward to aid with light chopping strokes. Plus, the saber grind on the blade facilitates the sharpening of the spine into an axe-like edge which is designed to handle heavy-duty chopping strokes that might otherwise damage the cutting edge. Last, there is a short section of fine serrations ground into the back end of the cutting edge for parting string, rope, or other such materials.
In addition, I have always admired the stag horn handles on this knife but, now that I am older, the overall size of the handle strikes me as being designed for smaller hands; and thus, while I am certain that this is a wise marketing strategy I would personally prefer this knife to have broader handle slabs.



Also, while the choice to construct the bolster/quillion from stainless steel instead of brass was a wise one, the lack of a smooth transition from the stag horn slabs to the bolster is very disconcerting to me.

So, although the Puma White Hunter will always live in my memory as a shining example of what a high quality hunting knife should be, now that am older, wiser, and far more experienced as a hunter and guide, I see both genius and a certain lack of attention to detail in the design of this knife.


Also, I am absolutely flabbergasted at the increase in the retail price of this knife. Over the last forty years or so it is present retail price of $399.99! Thus, although I am still highly impressed with this knife design, if I were willing to spend that much money on a hunting knife, there are several custom knife smiths who have excellent designs that I would choose over this one.
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