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 Shinkansen Knife Sharpener, Manual Ceramic | Minosharp Plus 440 GB
1 min read
Since hand honing systems designed for western cutlery don’t match up with the acute bevels and hard cutting edges of Global’s fine knives, the company partnered with Shinkansen Corporation to create something special. The Minosharp Plus gives Global knife owners a sharpening option simpler and less expensive than a set of waterstones.
This small manual sharpener should be held down firmly with one hand to prevent any skating on the countertop or table during use. Alignment is critical, since jamming the blade during a stroke could damage the cutting edge. Use a light touch and a steady straight pull to avoid those mishaps. The system is easy to learn.
Ceramic sharpening stones were designed for water lubrication, so that particles of stone and steel lift away from the abrasive surface and continually expose new sharp grit. This small ceramic wheel sharpener uses that same concept — fill the covered wheel base with water before using, and the sharpener won’t clog with worn steel. The coarse grit white wheels quickly reshape a battered edge, while the medium grit pink wheels improve the edge quality. The final result won’t be as good as is possible with professional flat stones, but since the angle of the stone wheels is permanently set at the factory, it’s hard to go terribly wrong with the Minosharp. Consider this an easier version of the honing rod rather than a way to completely rework Global blades.
The Minosharp isn’t meant for western knives since that lower grade of steel won’t hold up when ground to such a narrow bevel. Don’t use it to sharpen serrated blades of any brand, and only use it on Global knives with double bevel blades. Some Global cutlery used for sushi preparation and other fine slicing work is beveled on one side only and won’t fit this honing machine.
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...
Since hand honing systems designed for western cutlery don’t match up with the acute bevels and hard cutting edges of Global’s fine knives, the company partnered with Shinkansen Corporation to create something special. The Minosharp Plus gives Global knife owners a sharpening option simpler and less expensive than a set of waterstones.
