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.
Fish Fillet Knife by Kershaw, 7 Inch | Fishing Freshwater Plain Edge Blade w/ ABS Sheath
1 min read
Many freshwater fishermen will find this 7-inch Fillet Knife from Kershaw to be all the knife they need. Take good care of it, and you’ll have money left for other important gear.
At 12 inches in overall length, this is about as much knife as you’ll want to carry on your belt, and Kershaw does provide a hard plastic ABS sheath for that. Since the blade is a little light for anything more than filleting fish, you’ll probably find it fits better in the tackle box, where the tough sheath protects the fine seven-inch cutting edge from harm. Ground and tempered for uniform flexibility, the knife’s edge will need regular maintenance if you want it razor sharp. Pack a honing steel or whetstone in the tackle box and be prepared.
For slippery work like cleaning fish, the quality of the handle is as important as the blade. The co-polymer grip molded around the Kershaw fillet knife’s tang provides a deep bolster in front and a smaller dropped heel in the rear to prevent slips in either direction. The wide oval of the palm section is ribbed for better traction and allows firm control of the knife, even when hands are cold and clumsy.
The knife cleans up easily and does resist corrosion well, but modern stainless steel is a compromise between edge-holding and rust resistance. After the fishing trip, clean and dry the knife and don’t store it in the sheath where moisture could still be trapped.
See the Kershaw Fillet Knife with 9-inch blade if you need a strong but economical knife built for larger fish.
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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Many freshwater fishermen will find this 7-inch Fillet Knife from Kershaw to be all the knife they need. Take good care of it, and you’ll have money left for other important gear.
