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.
Puma IP Combat Dagger Knife | Black Military Double Edged Teflon Blade
55 sec read
This 10.83-inch black combat dagger from Puma IP — the international production branch begun in Spain in 2003 — sports a double-edged 6″ blade of 440C alloy high carbon stainless steel. Coated with black Teflon to prevent glare and increase corrosion resistance, the dagger is a no-nonsense concept for the military market. The full-length tang and simple stainless steel blade guard match the efficient look of the textured Zytel handle slabs. Nearly a pound heavy, this full-sized fighting knife follows the Fairbairn-Applegate pattern developed for the Office of Strategic Services in WWII. The balanced build works for piercing and slashing, but falls a bit short for the chopping tasks a bush knife faces.
For added security, the dagger’s Cordura sheath includes a velcro strap to keep the blade in place, locking down across the blade guard instead of wrapping around the handle. The sheath itself ties down — always a good idea if running is part of your work. Gear that bounces tends to get lost or make noise.
Though manufactured in Spain, Puma IP knives meet the standards of the Solingen, Germany, facilities. Using modern methods to keep quality high and reduce costs, the IP line brings Puma designs to a wider portion of the marketplace. Fewer of Puma’s hand processes went into the manufacture of this blade, but there appears to be no drop in practical quality. There’s nothing here but the essentials, the way Applegate would have wanted it. Corrosion resistance and the secure features of the sheath make this a good choice for sailors and adventurous fishermen.
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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This 10.83-inch black combat dagger from Puma IP — the international production branch begun in Spain in 2003 — sports a double-edged 6″ blade of 440C alloy high carbon stainless steel. Coated with black Teflon to prevent glare and increase corrosion resistance, the dagger is a no-nonsense concept for the military market. The full-length tang and simple stainless steel blade guard match the efficient look of the textured Zytel handle slabs. Nearly a pound heavy, this full-sized fighting knife follows the Fairbairn-Applegate pattern developed for the Office of Strategic Services in WWII. The balanced build works for piercing and slashing, but falls a bit short for the chopping tasks a bush knife faces.
