Tormek Community Forum

In the Shop => Knife Sharpening => Topic started by: kwakster on December 24, 2025, 04:02:44 PM

Title: Knife restoration - Puma 8101 Texas Bill (standard)
Post by: kwakster on December 24, 2025, 04:02:44 PM
A few years ago a member of Tactical Forum in Germany sent me this vintage Puma 8101 Texas Bill, advertized in a 1950's Puma brochure as a "throwing Scout knife" (German: Wurf und  Fahrtenmesser)
The request was to give the knife some TLC, post some pics how i do things, and then return the knife to it's owner.

(https://i.postimg.cc/RVr6YYhJ/image.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/PN45p2md)

(https://i.postimg.cc/tC0ZccJJ/image-1.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/w3Vjy0hY)

(https://i.postimg.cc/Gh08fftB/image-10.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/G9Qm8qkr)

(https://i.postimg.cc/9F3Rkk0J/image-2.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/nMkhj0vD)

(https://i.postimg.cc/pV55qvW9/image-3.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Z0Zq51yZ)

(https://i.postimg.cc/L4ggNS9Y/image-4.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/DmFzwtbn)

(https://i.postimg.cc/ryRRQTVt/image-5.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/Wtj41QJ2)

(https://i.postimg.cc/qB66jrJz/image-6.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/XX3vYTyb)

(https://i.postimg.cc/G3TTqRc6/image-7.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/rzcpwvR9)

(https://i.postimg.cc/4NC700yQ/image-8.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/jCXSwZzD)

(https://i.postimg.cc/vHRgKKTn/image-9.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/LhT8YNz4)
Title: Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8101 Texas Bill (standard)
Post by: kwakster on December 24, 2025, 04:03:49 PM
Handle disassembled.
Tools used: a modified Swiss Made PB flathead stubby no.5, a thin scalpel blade with a purposely overstropped apex (polished blunt), and the flathead screwdriver on my old Amefa army knife.

(https://i.postimg.cc/MpvCj90V/image-(1).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/DS3j9dMw)
Title: Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8101 Texas Bill (standard)
Post by: kwakster on December 24, 2025, 04:04:49 PM
Started with the blade:

(https://i.postimg.cc/4yG5XxPr/image-(2).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ftHXKZ6K)

(https://i.postimg.cc/Bb3gJnpz/image-1-(1).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/HcS52Hf0)

(https://i.postimg.cc/Y073tCRT/image-2-(1).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/N9NT4YWx)

(https://i.postimg.cc/Bb3gJnp7/image-3-(1).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/ftHXKZ6Y)

(https://i.postimg.cc/XJdLMCfL/image-4-(1).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/zbDKK3PH)
Title: Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8101 Texas Bill (standard)
Post by: kwakster on December 24, 2025, 04:05:55 PM
This is how the blade looks after regrinding by hand both sides with only 400 grit wet & dry SiC paper using WD40 oil as a lubricant on a semi-hard rubber backing.
Somewhere in the past the edge had already been sharpened convex, so in order to remove as little steel as necessary i just evened things out to a new edge of around 30 degrees inclusive.
It's not completely finished yet (there is still a bit of edge damage left under the letter T), but that can also be done after the handle is re-installed.

(https://i.postimg.cc/5yqMtjVF/image-(3).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V06hGf5Y)

(https://i.postimg.cc/mkGsRC0M/image-2-(2).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/WFSKwFpb)

(https://i.postimg.cc/wMcdB3pR/image-3-(2).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/5Q0r74jf)

(https://i.postimg.cc/QCkrMV3T/image-1-(2).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/643PjWTW)
Title: Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8101 Texas Bill (standard)
Post by: kwakster on December 24, 2025, 04:06:57 PM
Separately polished the miniature guard a bit, then put the handle back together using glue between all the washers:

(https://i.postimg.cc/2jsS0ByN/image-(4).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fkvsLyY8)

(https://i.postimg.cc/sfkgTZx3/image-(5).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/RqTmFhwY)

(https://i.postimg.cc/kM0gTtGn/image-1-(3).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/8sbG5cL3)

(https://i.postimg.cc/bYDv0Ry8/image-1-(4).jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

(https://i.postimg.cc/RC601TS5/image-2-(3).jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

How the knife looks at the moment:

(https://i.postimg.cc/PJwrtd35/image-1-(5).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fSMhCQQG)

(https://i.postimg.cc/z3YDv46R/image-2-(4).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/p5kM1c22)

(https://i.postimg.cc/G9n3t6VB/image-3-(3).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/p5kM1c2x)

(https://i.postimg.cc/5jW9yDTQ/image-4-(2).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/fS5QgqwM)
Title: Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8101 Texas Bill (standard)
Post by: kwakster on December 24, 2025, 04:08:06 PM
The knife is now almost done.
The blade surface was refined with 800 grit wet & dry and some WD40.
The new convex edge apex measures ~30 degrees inclusive and needs to have it's tiny burr removed later, after which the sheath will receive a few coats of warm Granger's wax.

(https://i.postimg.cc/0QJzVggy/image-(6).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/MMqZGFKC)

(https://i.postimg.cc/MH68vRY2/image-1-(6).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YGsPPvVb)
Title: Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8101 Texas Bill (standard)
Post by: RichColvin on December 24, 2025, 10:31:55 PM
That is great!  Thank you for sharing.
Title: Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8101 Texas Bill (standard)
Post by: Sir Amwell on December 25, 2025, 12:22:43 AM
Hi. Lovely work. Can you explain the process of restoring the handle? More specifically, the work done to all the washers? Thanks.
Title: Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8101 Texas Bill (standard)
Post by: BPalv on December 25, 2025, 01:50:24 AM
Quote from: kwakster on Yesterday at 04:08:06 PMThe knife is now almost done.
The blade surface was refined with 800 grit wet & dry and some WD40.
The new convex edge apex measures ~30 degrees inclusive and needs to have it's tiny burr removed later, after which the sheath will receive a few coats of warm Granger's wax.

(https://i.postimg.cc/0QJzVggy/image-(6).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/MMqZGFKC)

(https://i.postimg.cc/MH68vRY2/image-1-(6).jpg) (https://postimg.cc/YGsPPvVb)
Beautiful work!
I would also like to know how to restore a handle like that.
Thanks,
Al