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.
Al Mar Hawk Black Pearl Knife | Engraved Stainless Steel Pocketknife
1 min read
The spear point blade and curved handle of the Al Mar Hawk do bring to mind the bird of prey — the knife looks Persian even though it’s designed in America and made in Japan. The engraved stainless steel bolster extends nearly half the length of the handle — a style common in the old Barlow pocket knives since the days of the American Revolution. Black pearl handle scales give this gent’s knife an even more elegant look, alternately dark and iridescent depending on the lighting.
Al Mar recently upgraded its warranty policy from one year to a limited lifetime guarantee–knives made after January 1998 get the better coverage, but still there’s no sympathy for those who snap off the point. The Hawk has been one of Al Mar’s more popular designs since its introduction in 1979. The two-and-a-half-inch AUS8 high carbon stainless steel blade is a very practical size for a pocket blade, and three-and-a-quarter inches of handle fills the hand nicely, making the knife useful as well as beautiful. The simple lockback mechanism contributes safety — with a piercing style blade like this, the lockback feature is essential.
This is the old familiar pocket knife that lies in the bottom of your pocket, not in a sheath or on a clip. The leather pouch included with the Al Mar Black Pearl Hawk was not intended for the knife. The leather pouch, embossed with the Al Mar logo, fits a stone sharpening slip you’ll need to provide — stone for one pocket, knife for the other. One final perk, seldom seen in traditional pocket knives, is the lanyard hole. String a wrist loop through it, and you can even take your dress pocket knife fishing.
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 spear point blade and curved handle of the Al Mar Hawk do bring to mind the bird of prey — the knife looks Persian even though it’s designed in America and made in Japan. The engraved stainless steel bolster extends nearly half the length of the handle — a style common in the old Barlow pocket knives since the days of the American Revolution. Black pearl handle scales give this gent’s knife an even more elegant look, alternately dark and iridescent depending on the lighting.
