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.
With several wide slots for larger knives, the Emerilware Wusthof 17 Slot Knife Storage Block offers very stable and convenient storage for nine kitchen knives, a honing steel, kitchen shears, and six steak knives. The prep knives lie flat for best edge care, and steak knives fill a row of vertical slots beneath the main block — handy, but not in the way of kitchen work.
Thick strips of kiln-dried solid oak are laminated with non-toxic yet durable glue to form this block, which with ordinary care and common sense should resist warping and cracking and last for many years. Knife wear is never the problem with knife blocks — the enemies are heat and moisture. Rub the block with mineral occasionally, even though the surface is already protected by a durable finish. Placement is also important — next to a busy stove top or in the steam channel under cabinets, the block could be exposed to uneven stresses.
The footprint of this heavy block is small, but for full access to the knives you’ll need to give it more room than the block’s 9 x 6 x 10-inch dimensions. The design is stable, and the tiny plastic feet support it high enough off the work surface that minor spills won’t touch it. Shifting the block once you’ve placed it won’t be convenient.
Though it will hold most chef’s knives and santoku, the largest slots won’t handle heavy cleavers. The nine slots do provide enough storage space and range to accommodate the usual assortment of knives that chefs find most useful.
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...
With several wide slots for larger knives, the Emerilware Wusthof 17 Slot Knife Storage Block offers very stable and convenient storage for nine kitchen knives, a honing steel, kitchen shears, and six steak knives. The prep knives lie flat for best edge care, and steak knives fill a row of vertical slots beneath the main block — handy, but not in the way of kitchen work.
