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.
Chef’s Choice 100 W Knife Sharpener | Diamond Hone Electric Wheel
1 min read
The 100W Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener from Chef’s Choice reshapes edges of worn and dulled kitchen and sporting knives in a three stage process. The first and coarsest set of diamond impregnated honing wheels puts a preset bevel on the blade edge. Second and third stages with progressively finer wheels refine that bevel without removing much more steel. The edge you get from this machine is good enough to cut paper cleanly but not good enough to shave. This actually is the quality of edge many people regard as safe and sharp. Razor edged knives aren’t for everybody.
The Chef’s Choice Diamond Hone is a compromise between convenience and skill. If you avoid sharpening knives and have a drawer full of dull ones, the 100W could be just what you need, since it does have the capacity to restore those knives to good working condition without learning a new trade. Magnetic guides hold the blade at the correct angle as it’s pulled through the machine. Use only enough pressure to keep the blade in position on the wheels to avoid extra wear on the abrasive or damaging the finished edge.
Trouble spots are tips, curves, and the section of blade near the bolster that won’t ever reach the polishing wheels. Blade tips and curved sections of cutting edge require a lot of finesse to properly move through the machine. You might find that a flat stone works better for those parts. The buffing action of the wheels also gives the lower part of the knife blade a satin finish, a step down from the high polish of expensive cutlery. The Chef’s Choice is a good sharpening system well suited to less expensive steel.
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 Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
The 100W Diamond Hone Knife Sharpener from Chef’s Choice reshapes edges of worn and dulled kitchen and sporting knives in a three stage process. The first and coarsest set of diamond impregnated honing wheels puts a preset bevel on the blade edge. Second and third stages with progressively finer wheels refine that bevel without removing much more steel. The edge you get from this machine is good enough to cut paper cleanly but not good enough to shave. This actually is the quality of edge many people regard as safe and sharp. Razor edged knives aren’t for everybody.
