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.
Gladiator Black Imperial Sword by Trademark Global | Roman Gladius Pompei Legionnaire Replica
1 min read
Blades of similar design to the Trademark Global Black Imperial Gladiator Sword were certainly used in the Roman Gladiatorial Games but would not have been this pretty. The Trademark gladius was created for display but does retain some of the simple and deadly character of the sword of Rome.
The Pompei style of gladius did have the shape of the Trademark sword but used much different materials. All fittings on sheath and sword — including the grip, blade guard, and pommel — are pewter-finished cast metal. This construction made the detailed decorations possible but does steer the sword away from the purely functional weapons of the arena. The 19-inch high carbon stainless steel blade of the 30-inch gladius matches the Pompei style of blade much more closely, angling sharply to a stabbing point at the tip. With so many pieces in the handle section, there’s a good possibility of damage if you test this rat tail tang build against a real target, so consider it for display or costume use only.
The quality of the steel in this modern sword certainly bests the standard of the old days. Steel wasn’t unknown then, but carbon content varied considerably because of inefficient smelting methods. Raw ingots or blooms were tested for quality and then hammer-welded together — in one pattern, five blooms were needed to produce one blade with the strongest steel forming the core. The old blades often held unseen pockets of slag or rust that created weak points. In comparison, this modern gladius from Trademark Global truly is an Imperial blade.
See the Praetorian Sword from Valiant Armoury for a higher-quality version of this old Roman Legionnaire’s weapon.
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.
Blades of similar design to the Trademark Global Black Imperial Gladiator Sword were certainly used in the Roman Gladiatorial Games but would not have been this pretty. The Trademark gladius was created for display but does retain some of the simple and deadly character of the sword of Rome.
