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.
Battle Ready Hanwei Viking Spear by Paul Chen | Medieval Nordic Weapon Replica
54 sec read
Created by Paul Chen of Hanwei Forge, the Viking Throwing Spear is more than a reproduction of a classic museum piece. The details are intricate, including etched runic designs on the socket of the spearhead. Viking smiths would have used a complicated process called niello to create the designs on the spear, first carving the pattern and then filling and firing the design with a mixture of sulfur and metallic powders. Hanwei’s process involves different steps, but the final product has a similar appearance to the true Niello.
This 12-ounce stainless steel spearhead — slightly over 16 inches long — matches the style of throwing spears carried by Nordic warriors and was originally designed to penetrate armour. Vikings carried several of these light spears tucked under an arm as they charged the enemy, throwing them en route before closing for the final hand to hand battle. Though the Hanwei throwing spear is fully functional, owners today may be reluctant to scar the appearance of this historically accurate spear by casting it at targets. Some wear and tear on the 9-1/4 blade should be expected.
The socket of this reproduction accepts a tapered shaft one inch in diameter. For high strength, use only straight-grained seasoned hardwood. Good stock is often available through martial arts equipment suppliers, but a hardwood dowel from the local hardware store could also work. Expect to spend some time shaving it down for that perfect fit.
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.
Created by Paul Chen of Hanwei Forge, the Viking Throwing Spear is more than a reproduction of a classic museum piece. The details are intricate, including etched runic designs on the socket of the spearhead. Viking smiths would have used a complicated process called niello to create the designs on the spear, first carving the pattern and then filling and firing the design with a mixture of sulfur and metallic powders. Hanwei’s process involves different steps, but the final product has a similar appearance to the true Niello.
