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.
Victorinox Forschner Restaurant Meat Cleaver | Small Knife, Black Fibrox Handle
52 sec read
Victorinox’s Restaurant Cleaver offers professional quality at a bargain price. The Forschner version of this traditional kitchen knife cuts back only a little on size and weight, resulting in a blade that matches the needs of modern home kitchens.
With a blade only 2-1/2 inches wide and 7 inches long and a black Fibrox grip, the Restaurant Cleaver is small for a butcher’s cleaver but still weighs a full pound. Extra stock thickness accounts for the weight, allowing the Victorinox Cleaver to hold up to the toughest chopping jobs. The slightly smaller size makes the cleaver much easier to handle than full sized butcher’s cleavers.
As top quality cutlery evolves towards more fragile steel, the rough jobs in the kitchen often seem to be left behind. This type of cleaver fills the gap, able to handle anything the modern steel skips. Chop through joints of meat and even heavy soup bones; divide blocks of frozen food and smash ice. I use the back of a cleaver for opening coconuts — the edge would hold up, but the spine is more efficient. Sometimes you need an axe, and sometimes you need something blunt. This is both.
Don’t confuse the butcher’s cleaver with the very common Chinese vegetable cleaver — the Asian version slices like a European chef’s knife. The Victorinox cleaver is for making smaller pieces from big pieces, not for slicing thin.
Find this Victorinox Forschner Restaurant Cleaver:
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...
Victorinox’s Restaurant Cleaver offers professional quality at a bargain price. The Forschner version of this traditional kitchen knife cuts back only a little on size and weight, resulting in a blade that matches the needs of modern home kitchens.
