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.
Global G-16 Chef’s or Cook’s Knife | Yoshikin Full Tang Stainless Steel 10 Inch
1 min read
The award-winning design of the Global G-16 10-Inch Chef’s Knife brings new versatility to the powerhouse blade of the European kitchen. All-stainless steel construction reduces upkeep to a minimum without increasing weight. This excellent chef’s knife cuts weight by ounces compared to the standard European pattern.
Shoppers online may think a knife with a ten-inch blade is too much, but that’s just about right for a cook’s knife in average hands. Cook’s knives are the blades you turn to when slicing hard squash, watermelon, and other tricky items — and you need extra blade length to do that accurately. A ten-inch blade also handles multiple carrots and other smaller vegetables well, saving time on the cutting board. With a longer blade you get more slicing stroke, cutting vegetables cleanly instead of pressing through with a shearing action.
You’ll find many good reasons to choose the Global G-16 over competitive blades from Germany. The high carbon stainless steel in Global blades is tempered harder and ground to a thinner cutting edge. Global recommends sharpening the blade at a 15-degree angle; European blades use a much wider 25-degree edge bevel. Global’s design means better edge-retention and less maintenance as well as cleaner, nearly effortless cutting action. Seamless stainless steel cleans up easily and gives cross-contaminating bacteria no hiding places. Global’s lighter build is perfectly balanced — technicians adjust each knife by adding sand to the hollow handle before final sealing. Total weight of the finished G-16 Chef’s Knife is 9 ounces, according to Global’s website. That’s three ounces less than the equivalent from Wusthof.
For the best care of this knife, you’ll need good sharpening stones like the Global Medium Grit Ceramic Whetstone. Standard honing steels could chip the edge.
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...
The award-winning design of the Global G-16 10-Inch Chef’s Knife brings new versatility to the powerhouse blade of the European kitchen. All-stainless steel construction reduces upkeep to a minimum without increasing weight. This excellent chef’s knife cuts weight by ounces compared to the standard European pattern.
