I learned to hunt in the early 70's, and after trying some Case and Schrade knives that just didn't cut the mustard,
as it were, a friend and I discovered Puma knives. They took an incredible edge and held it very well. In 1978,
I got a 2-blade Puma Game Warden (#972, as I recall) that has been my sole hunting knife ever since. They were
much better than the Buck 110's that were often seen as a principal competitor. We used our Pumas to butcher deer
as well as field dress/skin deer, and they held up very well.
When new, the Pumas of that era sold in yellow and green plastic boxes that had a separate top and bottom. Even these boxes can bring good money on E-bay! The bottom half of the box had yellow foam with a cut-out in the shape of the knife to cradle it in shipping. The knives had a small sticker on the side of the blade pointing to a tiny pinprick which was where the blade had been Rockwell hardness-tested. You'll probably see the pinprick on the other side of your blade. They also came with a small, heavy cardboard, gold/black "guarantee" folder that was numbered. They had a lifetime guarantee.
The Game Warden I have has the same sharp-pointed clip point blade as yours, plus a long, straight blade with a skinner tip at the
end, that works very well for both skinning and boning/butchering. Each blade has its' own back spring and separate lock.
They also made a version that had a clip blade like yours and a cross-cut type saw that was very useful for ripping up the
sternum to open the deer up for gutting. I found that going to the side of the sternum bone allowed me to cut through the
cartilage that lets the rib bones flex, and a standard blade worked fine for that, plus was more useful unless you wanted to
cut small branches with the saw to make a blind.
Your grandfather's knife should be very serviceable. It would be good to have the bevel properly set and edge smoothed,
so that it will take a great edge when carefully sharpened. It appears that it might have been sharpened a bit roughly and
the bevel does not appear as even as they came from the factory. As to cleaning the brass, just rub it firmly with a soft piece of T-shirt and the
green verdigris should come off, leaving the light patina intact. If you want
to go further, you can use Brasso to take all the old patina off, bringing it to a bright polish, which is NOT their natural state. After you have cleaned the verdigris off the bolsters, I would then let it take on an even patina. I've never had to polish or maintain the finish of my 1978 Game Warden since I bought it -- I just kept it dry and clean.
You may wish to take Q-tips and a little Hoppes gun solvent or a very light oil and go inside the frame of the knife where
the blade is stored, and just wipe out any dirt, debris, dust, pocket lint, etc. that has accumulated there. Do the same with
the back of the blade where it pivots in the bolsters, with the knife about 1/2 open. You will likely find that there is a bit of
accumulated, compacted black crud pressed up against the locking surface of the blade, which will come right out. Once you
have cleaned this surface and the matching surface of the back spring where it locks, you'll probably be very pleased with how
positively and cleanly it locks open.
If you wish to polish the blade itself, beware any polish that would wear away the factory etching, steel type, etc. You might
try FLITZ polish on a soft cloth -- use sparingly, and go gently until you get a feel for how it might affect the etching on the blade.
The Flitz polish will remove the built-up finish crud and any possible light corrosion, and does a very nice job of restoring the clean
appearance of the steel. However, avoid the temptation to actually bring the blade to a bright polish, as that is not how they were
issued and it will look like a super-model with an ugly, third eye in the middle of its' forehead to anyone familiar with these knives.
Others who have different experience with cleaning the blade after such a long period of non-use, etc. may have used a product
that works better for this than Flitz, and if so, listen to their input.
Another way to clean the blade without risking the original polish is simply to wipe the blade with Hoppes #9 solvent (NOT Benchrest 9,
which contains ammonia!!), on a soft rag to let it cut through any built-up crud. Pay particular attention to the notches on the back of the
blade, where crud can build up. Scrub gently with your t-shirt material, and it will clean nicely. As I haven't had to clean a Puma in many
years, double-check to make sure the Hoppes doesn't do anything to reduce the blade etching. I don't "think" it will, but we're talking going
back decades in my increasingly less-precise memory.
Some people carry these knives in a sheath on a belt. That's fine, but beware awkward positions in the field that can put a lot of stress on the
stitching of the sheath. I used to carry mine in an old Buck 110 sheath from the 70's, and when it got hung up on something, the stitching holding the belt loop to the body ripped loose, and the knife could have been lost.
I developed a system that was less hassle, non-snag, and very secure. For many years, I have hunted in 1980's "BDU" shirts, courtesy of my Army service, as much of our weather here in hunting season is not very cold. These shirts have a pen pocket hidden inside the left upper pocket that fits the Game Warden perfectly. The pen pocket is then buttoned over by a flap to secure it. To further secure it against loss, I have a loop of florescent orange cord that goes through the hole in the bolster and I loop this around the pocket button before buttoning it. There's no way the knife can get lost.
The reason for the florescent orange cord is a lesson learned long ago; I was teaching a friend how to dress deer, and he set the knife down on the ground at some point (ALWAYS a mistake!!). We hauled the deer up a hillside, and I noticed the knife was missing. We went back to the approximate area where we'd worked on the deer, and it took quite a while to find the knife among the oak leaves. Now I put a loop of florescent orange cord on compasses, knives and other items that might get dropped in the woods. It makes them much easier to spot!!
I went through a bunch of different Puma fixed blades while I was stationed in Germany 1978-81, during the heyday of Puma's quality production.
I never found another blade profile that I thought worked nearly as well for actual hunting as the clip profile you have on your Game Warden.
You mention that Pumas are still being made. The family owned company was sold at a certain point (I forget), and the quality went down the
tubes. I purchased a couple of Puma pocket knives made after the new owners took over and the steel quality was hideous. The prices were lower
than the originals, but they weren't worth using. You'll notice that Pumas made in the era of original production (which yours is), command quite
a premium over the later knives, some of which aren't even made in Germany. Date codes help a lot in ensuring you get a good one.
One last thought -- certain fixed blades from the original Puma production bring very high prices. The original Game Wardens, at least in years past,
could be found at reasonable prices on Ebay from time to time, in excellent condition. That may or may not be the case, but they offer a tremendous
value for the price as users, relative to the older fixed-blade Pumas.
Finally, it's worth putting all this in context. When we were delighting in the comparatively insanely good performance of the Pumas back in the day,
super-steels were unknown. Custom knives were virtually unknown. Compared to garbage 420C SS steel in many common knives, the Pumas
really shone. Nowadays, there are boutique steels and heat treatments that can, if chosen wisely, leave your vintage Puma behind, performance
wise.... but that doesn't change the fact that you have an excellent knife, and it's also an heirloom. Just take good care of it, and never carry it
in a pocket unsecured/at risk for loss, and it will serve you well for many decades, and your heirs after that, if sharpened properly. I've never
wanted for a different knife than the Game Warden I've had for 42 years... it's been just fine!
Sorry to drone on, but you touched on one of the few topics I have extensive experience with, and I hope this will be helpful to you!
All the best to you, and I'm so glad you have your grandfather's rifle and gear. If you feel comfortable posting a pic of the rifle here, many
of us would be very happy to see it, plus hear a description of its' features and history, as well!
John
just a really good one...in the same sense that a 1972 VW Kombivan is a knockoff of a Ford Transit...its a keeper.
I asked my dad and he remembers my grandpa coming home from walking the dog and telling them about the knife he found. He agreed it was probably the mid 1970's. I suspect it probably fell of the truck of a contractor and laid on the roadside until grandpa found it.
