James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Buck Summit Folding Knife designed by Peter Whittaker | One Handed w/ Liner Lock
57 sec read
The Buck Summit Folder adds several useful tools to a standard one-hand opening clip knife — without the clip. Designed by mountaineer Peter Whittaker and a team of climbing guides, the Summit includes only the essentials.
Instead of a stainless steel pocket clip, there’s an extra large steel loop at the pommel for connection to carabiners or a lanyard. The 2.5-inch-long high carbon stainless steel blade pares and whittles with the forward plain cutting edge and quickly severs rope and cordage with the serrated section. The Summit is a good knife for situations where you may be holding on with one hand and working with the other — the stud opens the blade with a flick of one thumb.
A simple but secure liner lock holds the 420HC blade open until a squeeze of the trigger notch releases the blade for careful one-handed closure. The build allows easy operation with either hand.
Looks like Whittaker’s guides were more concerned with opening beverages than doing emergency repairs. The corkscrew, can, and bottle opener blades won’t be especially useful for anything else. The only real tool besides the drop point blade is the stubby screwdriver, which doesn’t lock back. The thermoplastic handle slabs pinned to an aluminum handle frame save weight but don’t contribute much strength. The Summit is a lightweight climber’s knife built for light chores and opening the champagne bottle at the top of the mountain. At 3.5 ounces, it’s a good choice for climbers and hikers who want a basic pocket knife without excess weight.
James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
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The Buck Summit Folder adds several useful tools to a standard one-hand opening clip knife — without the clip. Designed by mountaineer Peter Whittaker and a team of climbing guides, the Summit includes only the essentials.
