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.
Even though it’s price-competitive with many display-only swords, the Bushido Musashi Natural Shirasaya Sword was built for real work. If the cost of a genuine cutter has been holding you back, consider this entry-level blade from Musashi Swords. Nothing about it looks cheap, making it an excellent choice for display as well.
Similar to the swords carried by the blind sword master Zatoichi in his many films, this 40-inch katana’s handle and sheath are made of polished oak. The 27-inch high carbon steel blade features a full-length blood groove. Hand forged and fully tempered, the Natural Shirasaya arrives sharpened, though the edge should be checked before trying it out on tatami targets. Musashi Swords rates this a light duty cutter, and a truly razor-sharp edge will take much of the impact stress off the blade.
A ten-inch handle of polished oak allows a solid two-handed grip and a powerful swing, but this simple weapon does not have a bladeguard or tsuba and isn’t appropriate for parrying practice. Piercing targets could also be risky without the tsuba’s hand protection. That’s no reason to steer away from this good sword, which is built better than many Zatoichi replica weapons marketed in this same price range. Souvenir quality Zatoichi-style swords don’t equal the artistic look of this functional katana. Closer tolerances and stronger materials make a difference in appearance as well as use.
The light duty rating means it can be damaged, so use common sense and don’t try chopping down trees with the Natural Shirasaya. The oak handle splits if the weapon is abused.
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.
Even though it’s price-competitive with many display-only swords, the Bushido Musashi Natural Shirasaya Sword was built for real work. If the cost of a genuine cutter has been holding you back, consider this entry-level blade from Musashi Swords. Nothing about it looks cheap, making it an excellent choice for display as well.
