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 310 Knife Sharpener | Diamond Hone Compact Electric
1 min read
With only two stages of blade sharpening, the Chef’s Choice 310 Diamond Hone could be over-matched by genuinely worn knives. If your knives are still in reasonably good shape, the two high-speed honing disc systems in the 310 should do an excellent job of restoring an edge. Major repairs could be handled better by a larger machine with a coarser set of wheels.
The Chef’s Choice uses a helpful magnetic guide system to ensure that uncertain users pull the blade through the orbiting honing discs at the right angle. With the flat of the blade securely held by the magnetic guides, there’s no reason to deviate from the factory set angle. Most users will find that satisfactory. Suction cup feet hold the machine to the countertop and add to the stability and the accuracy. A light touch and a straight pull help avoid problems.
The diamond-coated honing plates polish the steel with such efficiency that blades shouldn’t overheat, but to be sure of that, use the good habits you’d learn from a stone grinding wheel and keep the blade moving steadily through the 301. Let the machine do the work, even if progress seems slow. The closer the original bevel of the knife is to the shape that the Chef’s Choice 310 produces, the faster the work will go. Once a set of knives is tuned up by this machine, touch-up is fast and easy. Honing plates could eventually wear out, but for a small fee Chef’s Choice will replace them.
According to the manufacturer, the fine side of the 310 also hones and resets the tips of the teeth on serrated blades. That might take some practice. I’d recommend trying an inexpensive serrated blade in it first — maybe a cheap steak knife — and judge those results before trying it on your best bread knife.
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...
With only two stages of blade sharpening, the Chef’s Choice 310 Diamond Hone could be over-matched by genuinely worn knives. If your knives are still in reasonably good shape, the two high-speed honing disc systems in the 310 should do an excellent job of restoring an edge. Major repairs could be handled better by a larger machine with a coarser set of wheels.
