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.
Bushido Katana Set w/ Wakizashi & Tanto | 3 Sword Display Stand
1 min read
The classic black look of this Bushido 3-Piece Katana set is more in keeping with the character of that Japanese military tradition than are many of the colorful and garish sword sets created today for collection and display. Sleek black lacquered scabbards bound with black nylon cord complement the wrapped cord handles of katana, wakizashi, and tanto. Each blade has cast metal fittings with a low luster satin finish that gives an impression of age and use.
Display sets are not built to the same rigorous standards as combat swords, but good replicas should retain the character of the originals. Even though materials used in this set are not the traditional choices, the appearance is a good match for the real weapons, and the set has been put together with concern for detail. The tempering mark or hamon on the edges of the blades is only decoration and doesn’t indicate the advancing tempering of a traditional weapon. This wavy pattern mimics the mark left from the traditional edge tempering process that produced blades with a tough spine and a hard edge. Sharpening these blades will damage the hamon decoration. Since this set is for display, upkeep should be limited to a rubdown with light oil occasionally. Even stainless steel benefits from a regular cleaning.
The high carbon steel blades in this three-piece set could be damaged by striking — for cutting practice, you’ll need something more. This type of steel and quality of temper could bend, or cutting edges could fold if roughly used. The swords are good enough for movement practice and should be respected as you would combat-quality weapons. Even training swords can cause real damage.
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.
The classic black look of this Bushido 3-Piece Katana set is more in keeping with the character of that Japanese military tradition than are many of the colorful and garish sword sets created today for collection and display. Sleek black lacquered scabbards bound with black nylon cord complement the wrapped cord handles of katana, wakizashi, and tanto. Each blade has cast metal fittings with a low luster satin finish that gives an impression of age and use.
