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.
Two Cherries Chisel Tool Set, High Carbon 11 Piece | Relief & Chip Carving Knife
1 min read
The 11 Piece Carving Set from Two Cherries includes tools for both relief and chip carving. A good choice for beginners and for expert carvers who need to replace tools or expand collections, the Two Cherries set features forged blades of high carbon tool steel hardened to Rockwell 61 for long-lasting sharp edges.
Ferruled handles in the traditional hexagonal pattern hold up well to mallet work and provide plenty of leverage for hand control. The facets of the handles also keep the tools from rolling off the workbench. The standard selection of skew chisel, flat chisel, V-chisel, and three sizes of gouges gives carvers plenty of options for creativity. Four chip carving knives in this set let artisans expand into that old European folk art as well. Carvers use the chip carving blades handy for all sorts of finishing and trimming work. Joiners and carpenters find the straight point of simple knives like these much more accurate than a pen for laying out mortises and tenons. They’re likely to be some of your favorite tools.
The tools in the set are easily honed with the small stone included in the assortment. Use one side exclusively for the straight edged tools and save the other for the bevels of the gouges. De-burring the chisels requires only a leather strop, but that final step for the gouges will be better handled by a matching honing slip.
Storage is provided for both the tools and the sharpening stone in the form of a nicely built hardwood box with tenoned corners and strong metal fittings. You may be tempted to use the lid as a first project.
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 11 Piece Carving Set from Two Cherries includes tools for both relief and chip carving. A good choice for beginners and for expert carvers who need to replace tools or expand collections, the Two Cherries set features forged blades of high carbon tool steel hardened to Rockwell 61 for long-lasting sharp edges.
