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 Cold Steel Trail Master isn’t just a knife with a Bowie-style blade. The Trail Master is a genuine Bowie knife in the old sense, but built with modern materials and to modern standards.
This SK-2 version of the Trail Master offers 9-1/2 inches of high carbon steel with an overall length of 14-1/2 inches and a weight of just over a pound. Although in frontier days it might have been one of the smaller Bowies, it’s big enough and tough enough to do the same work today. The high carbon steel definitely takes a sharper and longer-lasting edge than high carbon stainless steel in the same price range. An occasional rub with light machine oil prevents rust and corrosion, and with time and hard use, the Trail Master will develop the dark patina of a classic knife.
The size of the Trail Master may raise eyebrows today, but the extra weight and length put this knife in the same functional categories as machetes, camp axes, and short swords. The Trail Master handles camp chores and field dresses game, although it would be inefficient for delicate work like filleting fish. The Kraton handle’s textured grip ensures a comfortable and safe hold when swinging the blade in wet conditions and includes a lanyard hole for extra security. The knife comes with a leather belt sheath.
Two tests that Cold Steel ran on this knife will definitely impress you. Bending any modern blade to 45 degrees usually makes shrapnel, but the Trail Master survives. Jamming a knife point into a plank and then prying out chunks convinces me that there’s little possibility of breaking the Trail Master.
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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The Cold Steel Trail Master isn’t just a knife with a Bowie-style blade. The Trail Master is a genuine Bowie knife in the old sense, but built with modern materials and to modern standards.
