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Puma White Hunter

I am requesting some assistance in identifying a PUMA knife I inherited from my father. It has a stag handle and as for markings: has "PUMA" (in large letters) stamped on the blade next to the handle, the letters "DBGM" and a "Puma logo" just above this; at the end of the blade, it is stamped: "For The White Hunter". No other identification can be found. Any further information you provide me with would be greatly appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Lars Ray on March 10, 2022 at 12:55

Hi Jamie -

You should connect with our friend in Australia....Vinnie:

https://iknifecollector.com/profile/Vinnie?xg_source=profiles_membe...

He is quite the Puma collector and may be able to assist you. You can also find a lot of his postings in the group Box Full of Knives - Puma Collectors. Vinnie's discussions start on page 5 and run through page 10.

Who knows...he may just have one like yours!

Hope this helps -

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Permalink Reply by Ellis H. Roberson on March 10, 2022 at 18:01

Jamie,

I have 3 of the puma White hunters. All of them have a # close to the blade that identifies the Yr that it was made.. The DBGM has me swamped.. I can tell that 2 of the wihte hunters were made in 1968 and have the original sheath. I'd like see a pic of the knife..

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Hudson on March 10, 2022 at 18:23

Ellis,

I do know that Puma White Hunters were first made in 1956. Prior to 1964, they did not have a number code. The DBGM letter code has me wondering as well. My guess is that it was manufactured between 1956 and 1958 but don't know for sure.

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Permalink Reply by Ellis H. Roberson on March 10, 2022 at 19:06

Jamie,

My guess is that the knife was made prior to 1964, but I'm like you.. The DBGM code has me stumped. If you should fine out more on it., please let me know.. I will continue to ck on it and will let you know if I find out anything. I buy, sell, and trade knives at gun shows and have for quite a few yrs and will say that Puma is one of my best sellers. The Vintage ones bring high dollars. per chance, do you have the orig. sheath ??

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Hudson on March 11, 2022 at 9:09

It has a sheath, but I have no idea if it is original or not. It is an older one for sure. Not stitched but has rivets. I don't know what the original looks like so who knows.

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Permalink Reply by Vinnie on March 12, 2022 at 15:29

Hi Jamie

DBGM stands for Deutches Bundes Gebrauchs Muster (German Federal Utility Model)

Likely made for armed forces, German Air Force pilots were issued White Hunters as survival knives from the later 1950s up until the 1980s

The blade etch "For The White Hunter" as opposed to the just "White Hunter" was the original words on the earliest models from 1956 until around 1958~1959

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Permalink Reply by Vinnie on March 12, 2022 at 15:39

Also the very early models had a stitched sheath without reinforcing rivets, and a very narrow belt loop, and all have the Puma logo embossed in the leather so your sheath probably isn't original

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Hudson on March 12, 2022 at 16:06

Thanks for the information, Vinnie. This helps confirm the date range for the knife.

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Permalink Reply by Vinnie on March 12, 2022 at 16:40

Here's a link. The top left image is of the oldest model (unfortunately it is not mine)

https://classicpumaknives.com/white-hunter-pre-64/

Puma didn't introduce the Control Number system (Date Code) until late 1964, so older than that isn't necessarily easy to put a date on, but I still think yours is 1956~1958 based on the information you have provided. From around 1958 to early 1964 models were branded "Puma White Hunter" on the blade and variously "Puma Germany" or Puma Solingen" at the base of the blade

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Permalink Reply by Vinnie on March 12, 2022 at 20:15

OK I knew I had this info somewhere.

From Puma.De Solingen (Thanks Julia, Puma Solingen PR/Sales for the translation)

The general production models of the White Hunter prior to late 1964 (as opposed to special commissions, limited runs etc) can be dated as follows.

1956/57 "For The White Hunter"

1957/58 "Puma White Hunter"

1958/59 "Puma White Hunter/Pumaster Steel"

1959 and on "White Hunter 6377/Pumaster Steel

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Permalink Reply by Vinnie on March 12, 2022 at 23:45

More info. Most had "Genuine Pumaster Steel Germany" as opposed to "Pumaster Steel".

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Permalink Reply by Jamie Hudson on March 13, 2022 at 12:18

Looking at the pictures, my knife is marked like the first on the left except it does not include the word "Germany" under the word PUMA and includes the letters "DBGM" under the logo. All markings are on the left side of the blade (holding the knife straight out in front of you). The words on the end of the blade "For The White Hunter" - "For The" is written above the words "White Hunter" - just like in the sales document at the bottom of the pictures. The sales document is the closest to mine except it is missing the DBGM under the logo. Maybe the one I have was made for the armed forces, German Air Force pilots.