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.
Japanese Samurai Tanto, Dragon Black w/ Scabbard | Handmade Swords Forged 340
59 sec read
Surprisingly well made, the Dragon Black Tanto #340 actually is the entry level tanto at Handmade Swords. Hand forged from 1045 high carbon steel and constructed with traditional materials, this tanto’s hamon is polished on rather than clay-tempered. Aside from that, this beautiful knife is a combat-quality work of art.
Handmade Swords rates this a beginner tanto for the martial artist. Better tantos from Handmade Swords in the same style include clay-tempered edges and layered steel, with the improvements in performance which go along with high-end manufacturing. For most of us, tantos won’t see actual battlefield conditions, and a knife which looks this good won’t raise any critical questions if you display it on the wall or the desk. The flawless polish of the blade and the high gloss piano-lacquered sheath with dragon motif encourage owners to take good care of these knives instead of going camping with them or using them to clean fish. Designed for armor-piercing, the blade is a little heavy for most ordinary work.
This tanto displays many accurate features, including a blood groove on each side of the blade and a hardwood handle wrapped with real rayskin and black cotton woven grip. This is a solidly built samurai tanto with decorations that have meaning, instead of pretty symbols garnered at random from TV movies and video games.
Care will have to include regular cleaning and oiling, since even in the sheath the blade will be vulnerable to spots of rust if neglected. Ordinary care will be enough to maintain the original condition. This is a blade you’ll want to handle from time to time if you like knives. You’ll not mistake this tanto for a souvenir.
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.
Surprisingly well made, the Dragon Black Tanto #340 actually is the entry level tanto at Handmade Swords. Hand forged from 1045 high carbon steel and constructed with traditional materials, this tanto’s hamon is polished on rather than clay-tempered. Aside from that, this beautiful knife is a combat-quality work of art.
