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.
Chinese King Yue Sword Goujian Replica | Double Edged w/ Brass Scabbard by Trademark
1 min read
Trademark’s King of Yue Sword superficially resembles the famous Sword of Goujian but isn’t accurate in details. Workmanship more closely resembles modern Chinese movie replica swords.
The 32-1/4-inch-long sword combines a one-piece blade guard, handle, and pommel of cast brass with a broad double-edged high carbon stainless steel blade. A central blood groove runs nearly the full length of the sword. Antiqued brass fittings on the sword’s scabbard show more decorative symbols than the sword does. The overall appearance of the sword is good, but it isn’t right for the Sword of Goujian.
The differences between this sword and the Sword of Goujian — a Chinese national treasure — are too obvious to ignore. The Sword of Goujian, thought to be the personal weapon of the King of Yue, was unearthed during an archaeological dig in China in 1965 along the banks of the Zhang River. The sword lay in a casket alongside a human skeleton and was sheathed nearly airtight in a black lacquered wooden scabbard. After two thousand years in the flooded tomb, the sword was still in excellent condition and actually cut the finger of the first person who touched its edge.
The blade of the original was bronze, not steel, and survived the years because of a unique alloy content that resisted corrosion while in the blade’s airtight scabbard. An inscription on the blade could still be read and translated as “Belonging to King Goujian of Yue, made for his personal use.”
None of those important details carry over into this modern replica sword, although in general, the Trademark King of Yue Sword does resemble other weapons from ancient China.
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.
Trademark’s King of Yue Sword superficially resembles the famous Sword of Goujian but isn’t accurate in details. Workmanship more closely resembles modern Chinese movie replica swords.
