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.
Collector’s items aren’t limited to the knives that survive the ages — unique knives that come and go quickly also find a solid following. Let’s put the Ka-Bar Pistol Bayonet by LaserLyte in that second collectible class, since it’s a good idea which solves a problem no one had. Buy it while you can.
There’s no question the LaserLyte Ka-Bar pistol bayonet is well made. This is a stout but small knife, only 0.2 pounds in weight with a glass-filled nylon handle and a wide, 2.75-inch long blade. The bayonet style of the blade is too thick to make it a good skinning knife, but is designed well for poking holes without breaking. The mount, which fits any large to medium handgun with a rail, fits securely and locks solidly in place. Pressing two locking buttons at once releases the knife from the rail. Tactical black 3CR13 steel by Ka-Bar means this is a blade you can trust.
The practical concerns do become overwhelming when you take an unbiased look at the knife’s possibilities. It does stay out of the way when the pistol is fired, but aside from that mean look it does little to enhance the weapon’s effectiveness. To use the knife, you’re much better off removing it from the pistol. Instead of a belt sheath, the pistol bayonet is fitted with a short scabbard designed to conceal the point and cutting edge while on the gun. Pressing the lock at the base of the sheath allows removal from the knife. The designer recommends leaving the scabbard on the blade while it’s mounted to the pistol, and I agree.
Refresh your memories of basic firearms safety before mounting the LaserLyte bayonet to your handgun. That procedure is a serious accident just waiting for the right moment and the right person. Never mount or remove the bayonet without unloading the gun and clearing the firing chamber.
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.
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Collector’s items aren’t limited to the knives that survive the ages — unique knives that come and go quickly also find a solid following. Let’s put the Ka-Bar Pistol Bayonet by LaserLyte in that second collectible class, since it’s a good idea which solves a problem no one had. Buy it while you can.
