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.
Farberware Pro Knife Set, Black Hardwood Block 15 | Full Tang Forged Steel Satin Finish
1 min read
This 15-piece block set of seamless all-stainless steel prep and steak knives from Farberware’s Pro series displays some very good qualities and some faults. If you’re looking for a good selection of bargain knives, Farberware’s Pro Block could interest you. Expect a couple of minor issues.
Many customers buying the new stain-free steel knives — produced by nearly all major manufacturers, not just Farberware — expect blemish-free stainless steel. The older stainless steel alloys definitely resisted rust and corrosion, but didn’t hold an edge well. New cutlery steel isn’t rust or blemish-proof, but keeps a high polish well if correctly cared for and holds a serviceable edge. Run it through the dishwasher or let it dry with water droplets on the blades, and you have trouble. Since each entire knife in this set is completely stain-free steel, including forged bolsters and satin-finish steel handles, expect to hand wash and dry these knives if you want them to keep that classy look.
Prep knives in the set include a chef’s knife, slicing or carving knife, and serrated bread knife — all with eight-inch blades. At the small end of the prep range, there’s a 3-1/4-inch paring knife and 5-inch utility knife. The utility blade’s forward third sports serrations, making it especially suited for sandwich prep. In between these is an odd choice Farberware calls a six-inch cleaver. This narrow blade will work better for boning or carving smaller cuts of meat and shouldn’t be confused with a butcher’s heavy tool. Six matching steak knives, a sharpening steel, and kitchen shears fill out the selection.
The hardwood block itself, painted flat black, obviously was meant to accent the shine of the knives but instead of that looks crude. It still holds the knives, giving convenient storage on the countertop and the best protection a modern blade gets.
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...
This 15-piece block set of seamless all-stainless steel prep and steak knives from Farberware’s Pro series displays some very good qualities and some faults. If you’re looking for a good selection of bargain knives, Farberware’s Pro Block could interest you. Expect a couple of minor issues.
