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.
Ancient Celtic blades inspired the design of the Cold Steel Boar Hunter, but modern tactical materials make this new hunting knife better than the old battlefield blades. Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel Special Projects built the Boar Hunter for real hunters and field-tested the design on real Australian wild boar.
The long talon-like taper comes from traditional designs, built for penetrating armor and thick hide smoothly. The 13-7/8-inch-long Boar Hunter’s hollow-ground edge gives the knife better cutting ability than the old weapons, and Japanese AUS 8A high carbon stainless steel protects the knife from corrosion. The slender point of the 8-3/4-inch blade doesn’t decrease the knife’s strength. The Boar Hunter’s tempered steel flexes to an incredible 45 degrees without snapping or deforming.
After field-testing the knife in the Australian Outback, Thompson decided to improve the handle and incorporated an existing tactical design used in the Cold Steel OSS knife. The knife’s double guard prevents any forward slip, and the subhilt keeps the hand on the grip even if the conditions get slippery. This knife was built specifically for stabbing with an injection-molded Kraton handle that allows a full force blow while giving the hand full protection.
The Boar Hunter rides in a Secure-ex sheath designed for ambidextrous access and fits most waist belts. MOLLE-style fittings on the sheath allow strapping the knife to other gear.
For another modern boar hunter’s knife, see the Ka-Bar Baconmaker inspired by a custom Special Forces blade.
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.
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Ancient Celtic blades inspired the design of the Cold Steel Boar Hunter, but modern tactical materials make this new hunting knife better than the old battlefield blades. Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel Special Projects built the Boar Hunter for real hunters and field-tested the design on real Australian wild boar.
