just before I rotated to Vietnam, was in the small PX on Smoke Bomb Bill at Bragg, and bought several knives, one, a Buck 110, which I used every day in that war and later in Desert Storm, now it carefully resides in my shadow box with other important momentos. Also a Puma White Hunter, but left that at home when I deployed. Later, when I was about to end my year tour as an advisor deep in the Delta, I wrote my parents and asked them to send it to me, so I could give my Vietnamese Counterpart a gift when I was soon to leave. I did give it to him, and sometimes wonder where that fine sheath knife ended up when the war was over. Is it now on some North Vietnamese Officer's belt, or on a wall as a trophy somewhere, or did my Vietnamese counterpart hurl it out into the mud of a rice paddy when he had to surrender.
About a year year ago, was driving by the Smokey Mountain Knife Works just of I40 in Sieverville, and replaced it. My new Puma White Hunter seems to be just as nice as my long gone one. I think a cool feather is how there is a hole in the handle to thread a leather thong thru it to make it less likely to be lost. Plus, has a really nice leather sheath. I just was admiring it yesterday, and when I was passing the Smokey Mountain Knife works recently, bought its smaller brother, the Puma Hunter's Pal. I asked the counter girl why most of the Puma knives are much cheaper than the two I now have, and she told me the less expensive ones are made in Japan, but the White Hunter and the Pal are still made in Germany, and cost about 2 or 3 times what the Japanese ones do.
I don't remember what I paid for my first one in '70, but my new Hunter was about $350, and the Pal about $175.
This PM my son and his 4 and 7 year old boys are coming up for the weekend, and my plan is to give the two knives to my son, for him to pass on to his boys someday, when he thinks it is the right time. I want them to always have something to remember me in the years to come. I will shoot a couple of pics later today, and post here. I am about to take my new to me Ruger 44 mag carbine and a new 223 to a state range to sight in their scopes. Spent some hours yesterday at my loading bench, and made up about a hundred rounds of 44 mag with new Starline cases, and 23 gr of Winchester 296, under a Hornady 240 gr XTP bullet.
By the way, if you read the history of the White Hunter, it was designed by Puma after consulting with professional hunters in Africa in the '50's. The later criticism of the Hunter is that the grip is small for use with bloody hands. Have several racks of ribs to smoke on my Traeger tomorrow.
Now, for more coffee and off to the range.
All the best.. SF VET
