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.
Ed Kalfayan Custom Bowie Knife | Collectible Designer Model
55 sec read
After more than 25 years as a knife maker, Ed Kalfayan finally retired and no longer takes orders for his fine custom blades. If you’re lucky, you can still find one, but many owners have decided to hang onto theirs permanently. Mr. Kalfayan’s style is unique and always shows a level of detail few smiths approach. One of his trademark accents to a blade is the use of colorful spacer materials in the handles, small enough to be discreet but bright enough to catch the eye.
The Kalfayan Custom Recurve Bowie is a great example of why Mr. Kalfayan is still one of the best, retired or not. The perfect sweep of a Bowie blade properly done really is both a work of art and a masterpiece of craftsmanship. Maybe you have to try it yourself before you realize the extreme mix of machine knowledge, metallurgical know-how and manual dexterity that goes into a knife of this quality. Beginners could try for years to match the Bowie Recurve and never get close.
Some of the fine points of the Recurve are just on the edge of practical. The hollow grind is deep, and would be too much if the stock itself were not a hair under a quarter inch thick. Hilt, pommel and finger grip might be too large if they didn’t work so well in the hand, but even though the Kalfayan Bowie almost looks like a fantasy blade there’s nothing in it to doubt. In this 15.7 inches of ironwood and stainless steel you won’t find flaws.
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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After more than 25 years as a knife maker, Ed Kalfayan finally retired and no longer takes orders for his fine custom blades. If you’re lucky, you can still find one, but many owners have decided to hang onto theirs permanently. Mr. Kalfayan’s style is unique and always shows a level of detail few smiths approach. One of his trademark accents to a blade is the use of colorful spacer materials in the handles, small enough to be discreet but bright enough to catch the eye.
