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.
Shun Cutlery’s Classic six-piece knife block set gives home chefs the best foundation knives for kitchen prep plus a full-sized bamboo knife block with plenty of room for expansion. Add the best knives in your current assortment to the block and replace them with even better ones as time allows.
The three Shun Classic knives in this set cover a wide range of important kitchen tasks from peeling and removing flaws in fruits and vegetables to sandwich prep, carving, and slicing. The main knife is the eight-inch chef’s knife, but the set includes paring and utility blades — all three built with Shun’s high quality Damascus steel. The outer shell of these blades consists of 32 layers of tough stainless steel for shock resistance and flexible strength. The inner core is a single layer of extremely hard VG-10 stainless steel, tempered to take an acute edge and provide long-lasting wear resistance.
Shun’s Damascus knives cut with less friction than the best traditional western blades, partly because of the thin bevel and also because the layers of steel form a rippled surface. Less steel contacts the work, and like a good santoku, the knives shed slices of food easily and glide through the work. The dark grips of the Shun Classic knives form from layers of resin-saturated birchwood around a strong rat tail tang. This ebony black handle matches up perfectly to the forged stainless steel bolster and end cap. The D-shaped grip provides extra purchase for the fingers and a quick orientation to the blade.
A sharpening steel — specially developed for the hard edges of Shun knives — and a pair of Taskmaster shears complete the tools in the set. Shun’s laminated bamboo knife block has the beauty and durability of hardwood but uses quickly regenerated natural materials.
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.
The Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
Shun Cutlery’s Classic six-piece knife block set gives home chefs the best foundation knives for kitchen prep plus a full-sized bamboo knife block with plenty of room for expansion. Add the best knives in your current assortment to the block and replace them with even better ones as time allows.
