Please help with ID on a German Trench/Hunting dagger??

[lavagna]

This dagger belongs to my father. He received it as a Birthday present approx. 40-50 years and believes that his Dad bought it for him from a pawn shop in Johannesburg.

Length in Scabbard is approx. 270mm
Length out of Scabbard is approx.: 260mm
Blade is approx.:150mm
Handle is approx.:110mm

Writing on blade : PUMA Forest Hunting Knife
Stainless
Soligen Germany

I have seen a couple of similar ones on the internet that claim to be WW1 Trench Knives and/or WW2 Military Boot Knives.

Any help with its ID or possible age will be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Bruce

[rajko84]

IMO this is post war, not military knife

[lavagna]

Thanks for the reply,
do you have any idea where I could find other examples of these types of daggers?

Cheers
Bruce

[rajko84]

Thanks for the reply,
do you have any idea where I could find other examples of these types of daggers?

Cheers
Bruce

They are common on eBay. But wait there is few more guys here with much more knowledgeable then me about this types of knives. Wait to hear there opinion too.

[Jenko]

I agree post war knife, but still a quality Puma knife.

They are common on eBay. But wait there is few more guys here with much more knowledgeable then me about this types of knives. Wait to hear there opinion too.

[rbminis]

I agree, post war knife.
Puma knives are quality and desirable.
Ralph.

[sb98]

IMO this is post war, not military knife

Weren't things post WWII, pre 1990's, marked "West Germany" instead of "Germany"?

[Jenko]

1990 is post war! WW1 and WW2 would be Puma Soligen IMO.

Weren't things post WWII, pre 1990's, marked "West Germany" instead of "Germany"?

[rajko84]

1990 is post war! WW1 and WW2 would be Puma Soligen IMO.

I think he is saying that, because the owner said his Dad got it 40-50 years ago.
But I agree with you it would say Puma S.
Even when they were for export from that time period WWII down, they only said Germany on English. Everything else would be on German.

[sb98]

1990 is post war! WW1 and WW2 would be Puma Soligen IMO.

So you're saying this is a post 1990 knife?

[lavagna]

It is definately pre-1990.

I'm 41 and as a kid can remember the knife. That would put it back to the late 70's early 80's.

My father who is now 67 told me he recieved it when he was 10 or 11 so it does go back to at least 1954/55. The fact that it was purchased from a pawn shop led me to think that it just might have been older.

Cheers
Bruce

[Jenko]

So you're saying this is a post 1990 knife?

This is post war. It may be from 1945-1949 before West Germany existed. I would never buy an item marked Germany as Pre 1945. I own lots of edged weapons from WW1-WW2 and earlier none are marked Germany.

[sb98]

This is post war. It may be from 1945-1949 before West Germany existed. I would never buy an item marked Germany as Pre 1945. I own lots of edged weapons from WW1-WW2 and earlier none are marked Germany.

I was just wondering whether or not knives made in Germany during the Cold War were marked "Germany" or "West Germany". After a little research it appears both were common.

I don't think this knife is pre-WWII, but pre-1945 knives do exist with a "Germany" mark. Some were military surplus, marked for export like these http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...any+mark+knife and http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...y+marked+knife. For items intended for import into the US, the McKinley tariff act of 1890 required that they be labeled with the country of origin. The Brits had similar laws about marking country of origin on products (Merchandise Marks Act 1887 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_in_Germany ), so it would stand to reason some pre-1945 commercial knives exist out there with "Germany" on them. I think you have to look at the piece as a whole, just having "Germany" on it doesn't automatically make an item post war.

[Jenko]

This makes perfect sense, ww2 commando knives we're marked England if exported to the us.

I was just wondering whether or not knives made in Germany during the Cold War were marked "Germany" or "West Germany". After a little research it appears both were common.

I don't think this knife is pre-WWII, but pre-1945 knives do exist with a "Germany" mark. Some were military surplus, marked for export like these http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...any+mark+knife and http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...y+marked+knife. For items intended for import into the US, the McKinley tariff act of 1890 required that they be labeled with the country of origin. The Brits had similar laws about marking country of origin on products (Merchandise Marks Act 1887 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Made_in_Germany ), so it would stand to reason some pre-1945 commercial knives exist out there with "Germany" on them. I think you have to look at the piece as a whole, just having "Germany" on it doesn't automatically make an item post war.