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.
Best Dagger: German Main Gauche Trident | Paul Chen Hanwei Collectible
52 sec read
All right, another fancy parrying dagger, certainly not the first one I’ve ever seen — but hold on a minute, there’s something new at hand. Actually the German Main Gauche is something old brought to life again for possibly the first time since the 1600s, when dueling with swords and parrying daggers was a popular way of settling a polite disagreement.
Paul Chen from Hanwei Forge masterminded the recreation of a museum piece from old Europe, an exotic version of the main gauche that duelists used as an offhand weapon. Also known as sword breakers, the curved guards of the hilts caught and locked onto the blade of an opponent. This version — the trident dagger — went a bit farther, appearing to be a normal dagger until the owner pressed the button on the handle. Presto! Spring-loaded steel wings spring out from the sides of the blade. Much more effective at parrying than the usual dagger, the main gauche also presented a lethal center blade.
Currently outlawed as an accessory weapon during fencing competitions, the German Main Gauche trident dagger from Hanwei Forge is a unique collectible. With an ornate handle of chased steel and fully functional carbon steel blade and mechanism, the Main Gauche comes with a matching dagger sheath. The center lancet blade measures 11.5 inches, and the overall length of this 1 lb. 6 oz. aristocrat’s dagger is a well balanced and intriguing 17.5 inches. Wear it like an ordinary dueling knife, and no one’s the wiser.
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.
All right, another fancy parrying dagger, certainly not the first one I’ve ever seen — but hold on a minute, there’s something new at hand. Actually the German Main Gauche is something old brought to life again for possibly the first time since the 1600s, when dueling with swords and parrying daggers was a popular way of settling a polite disagreement.
