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 Knife Block Set of 6, Includes G & GS | Yoshikin Kitchen Stainless Steel Cutlery Storage Review
1 min read
This 6-Piece Block Set from Global Yoshikin outfits your kitchen with five versatile all-stainless steel knives and stainless steel countertop storage built to match. The trademark black dimples of the Global knife grip also decorate the sides of the modernistic storage block.
In this set, you’ll find two knives from Global’s GS-series and three larger knives from the G-series. The GS-7 paring and spear knife’s 4-inch-long, double-bevel blade and dove-tail handle design allows right or left-handed use during peeling and prepping of all types of produce. The larger GS-3 cook’s or utility knife with 5-1/4-inch blade is recommended for cutting and slicing vegetables and meats.
Two of the larger G-series blades are plain-edged and all have a more traditional cylindrical handle shape. The seven-inch blade of the G-4 Oriental Cook’s Knife will be the main slicing knife for meat, fish, and vegetables, while the G-3’s longer 8-1/4-inch blade has the narrower style needed for fine carving. The only serrated blade in the set is Global’s G-9 bread knife with a blade a full 8-3/4 inches long — enough for most home-style loaves.
Global’s handle design is seamless stainless steel bonded to higher-quality forged CROMOVA 18 high carbon stainless steel blades. This pattern is light and very well balanced — final trimming is done by adding precise amounts of sand to the hollow handle, which is then permanently sealed.
The stainless steel knife block sits in a rubberized synthetic base with tough plastic edge protectors lining the individual knife slots.
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 6-Piece Block Set from Global Yoshikin outfits your kitchen with five versatile all-stainless steel knives and stainless steel countertop storage built to match. The trademark black dimples of the Global knife grip also decorate the sides of the modernistic storage block.
