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.
Boker Fighting Knife Dagger, Full Tang w/ Micarta Handle | Schanz Integral Green
52 sec read
This heavy fighting knife — drop forged from one piece of high carbon 440C stainless steel — has good balance, although the green canvas micarta handle doesn’t do much for its looks. A full tang build including a heavy forged bolster and hand guard give the Schanz Integral Dagger plenty of strength but also plenty of weight — 14 ounces for the 11-5/8-inch knife with black leather belt scabbard.
The seven-inch, double-edged dagger blade of the Schanz has the flat and sturdy grind of a good bayonet. With a blade thickness of a full 1/4 inch, it’s a very rugged build good for stabbing things and should hold up well to heavy prying also. For everyday slicing and carving work, the edge would need some refinement. Since there’s no flat spine for thumb leverage it won’t double as a practical hunting knife, and the plain cutting edge is too thick to be an excellent skinner.
The Boker Schanz Integral Dagger has plenty of potential as a combat knife but does lack the non-reflective coating of most modern tactical blades. The Schanz is an easy knife to like and would be a welcome addition to many collections, but if you’re trying to fit it to some ordinary practical purpose, it falls just a little short.
Forged in Taiwan to the specifications of Boker’s engineers, the Schanz may wind up on more shelves than belts.
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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This heavy fighting knife — drop forged from one piece of high carbon 440C stainless steel — has good balance, although the green canvas micarta handle doesn’t do much for its looks. A full tang build including a heavy forged bolster and hand guard give the Schanz Integral Dagger plenty of strength but also plenty of weight — 14 ounces for the 11-5/8-inch knife with black leather belt scabbard.
