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.
Chicago Cutlery 3 Piece Set | Black Walnut Signature Prep Knife | Full Tang
1 min read
These three knives from Chicago Cutlery’s Signature series are about as simple as good knives get. The design is completely functional and could have come from any American frontier kitchen. The black walnut hardwood handle slabs and brass rivets create durable grips for the full tang high carbon stainless steel blades. You might see art in the simplicity. If you just want good knives for the kitchen, these three — paring, utility, and chef’s knives — will cover most kitchen chores short of chopping but don’t offer any special features.
The taper-ground blades cut well when sharp but need frequent maintenance with a honing steel or whetstone to stay keen. The blades are cut and ground from a sheet of 420C steel — not likely to break if twisted the wrong way, but without any unusual edge holding ability. Many of the best stamped steel blades made today compete well with heavier forged styles but are made from alloys with special strengths that compensate for the plain structure of the knife. The 420C steel in these knives is an ordinary grade.
With no bolsters or fingerguards and only minimal handle shaping, you’ll depend on your own grip and knife handling skill to avoid slips. Leading sections of the handle slabs have squared edges and sharp corners that won’t feel very ergonomic if you need to use them as thumb leverage.
The set of three starter knives is covered by Chicago Cutlery’s lifetime warranty, but that warranty won’t cover dishwasher damage. The stain-free blades resist rust and corrosion if hand washed in mild detergent. Hardwood handles could swell and distort if run through a dishwasher. Avoid soaking the knives in dishwater for longer than necessary to prevent gaps from forming between slabs and tangs.
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...
These three knives from Chicago Cutlery’s Signature series are about as simple as good knives get. The design is completely functional and could have come from any American frontier kitchen. The black walnut hardwood handle slabs and brass rivets create durable grips for the full tang high carbon stainless steel blades. You might see art in the simplicity. If you just want good knives for the kitchen, these three — paring, utility, and chef’s knives — will cover most kitchen chores short of chopping but don’t offer any special features.
