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 Cold Steel Paradox operates smoothly but differently from the traditional balisong or butterfly knife. The modified design was created to put this knife in the same category as folding pocket knives. Any truly one-handed opening knife is subject to legal restrictions, and the Paradox is not a one-handed opener. The Paradox adapts balisong components to fit the needs of modern American users.
Since the Cold Steel Paradox is based upon spring-loaded handle billets that require two hands to open and close, some of the drama of the flashy balisong has gone away here. The compensation for that is a very solid design without any of the slop that goes along with the average butterfly knife. The twin steel springs lock the blade in both closed and open positions.
Cold Steel uses the best construction method — channeled handles — to build this knife. Blade grooves in each handle half are accurately machined from polished aircraft aluminum, not cast metal as in cheaper versions of the butterfly knife. A 4-1/2-inch leaf-point hollow ground high carbon AUS 8A stainless steel blade, plus the artistically skeletonized 5-inch handle, unfolds to a full length of 9-1/2 inches. Since that’s a little too large to lie comfortably at the bottom of a pocket, owners will find the stainless steel pocket clip very handy. Aluminum components are hard anodized for added luster and durability.
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 Cold Steel Paradox operates smoothly but differently from the traditional balisong or butterfly knife. The modified design was created to put this knife in the same category as folding pocket knives. Any truly one-handed opening knife is subject to legal restrictions, and the Paradox is not a one-handed opener. The Paradox adapts balisong components to fit the needs of modern American users.
