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.
W.R. Case & Sons Trapper Pocketknife, Amber Bone 163 | Jigged Zebu Handle w/ Double Slip Joint Blade
1 min read
The Case Trapper is one of W.R. Case & Sons most popular knives, and the company makes many different versions. This Amber Bone Trapper’s handle slabs look much like stag antler, but are actually cattle bone textured with a special jigging pattern.
Case goes far and wide to find the best handle stock for their pocketknives, and for the bone versions, Case chose one particular breed of cattle from Brazil to provide the raw materials. The shin bones of the Zebu breed makes the most dense and stable handle slabs, because in Brazil, the Zebu graze on open range much as Longhorns once did in Texas. All that exercise makes stronger bones.
Jigging patterns vary with the model of knife and help give Case pocketknives individuality. The changing patterns also contribute to the collectibility of Case knives. With names like Pine Bark and Heritage, jigging patterns even help identify older knives and separate the true antiques from the badly used.
This Case Trapper, 4-1/8 inches long when folded, holds two high carbon stainless steel blades. The slip joint blades open with thumb notches — a two-handed operation — and are held securely in both closed and open positions by steel spring bars in the back of the handle. Pressure on the back of the blades closes the knife, and the blades do not lock. The clip point blade works well for piercing and carving, while the spey blade is better designed for controlled slicing.
For a more pocket-sized knife from Case, try the Old Red Bone Baby Butterbean, a strong two-bladed knife in a compact style.
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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The Case Trapper is one of W.R. Case & Sons most popular knives, and the company makes many different versions. This Amber Bone Trapper’s handle slabs look much like stag antler, but are actually cattle bone textured with a special jigging pattern.
