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.
Boromir of Gondor LOTR Sword Replica | United Cutlery Lord of the Rings Longsword w/ Wall Display
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The United Cutlery Authentic Sword of Boromir, Captain of Gondor from the Lord of the Rings saga, should satisfy even the spirit of Boromir himself. Well balanced and designed with function in mind, the details of this display weapon stand out as much more than fanciful decoration.
From the heavy metal pommel to the symmetry of the piercing sword tip, the Sword of Boromir looks like a weapon the brash yet practical captain would actually carry. The tempered 420 J2 high carbon stainless steel longsword shows a central fullered blood groove that reduces the weight of the 30-3/16-inch-long blade but leaves the strong blade point untouched. The sword’s brass-plated bladeguard uses a simple smith’s trick, twisting squared stock into a shallow spiral to form the curved cross-piece. Genuine leather laid over the grip of the rat-tail tang sword covers rows of metal studs, giving the owner a better hold of this heavy, 39-inch weapon.
Symbolic of the fictional 6-foot-4-inch warrior hero, the sword of Boromir goes well with the character of someone bold enough to blow a battlehorn because he didn’t think sneaking around unannounced was honorable. You could also see the practical side of the man in this weapon, reflective of the only adventurer in the party with the good sense to carry firewood into the snows of the mountain passes.
The Sword of Boromir includes a polished wood wall plaque with mounting hardware and a parchment verifying the authenticity of this well-made LOTR replica weapon.
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 United Cutlery Authentic Sword of Boromir, Captain of Gondor from the Lord of the Rings saga, should satisfy even the spirit of Boromir himself. Well balanced and designed with function in mind, the details of this display weapon stand out as much more than fanciful decoration.
