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.
Guy Fieri Knives by Ergo Chef | Chef Knife & Knuckle Sandwich Dagger Barbecue Set
1 min read
Yes, they’re flashy knives; and yes, they’re not quite what you’d expect of German cutlery — but this two-knife set was designed by California chef Guy Fieri. It’s meant for people who take tailgate cuisine seriously.
Guy Fieri’s minimal knife set fits the needs of the mobile barbecue chef with a chef’s knife made to handle nearly every prep chore in the outdoor kitchen and a wicked sandwich knife specially engineered for burgers and subs. Both knives were manufactured with strong full-tang construction and reduced bolsters to allow full use of the high carbon stainless steel blades. Another Asian influence, the rows of hollows ground into the blade sides, reduces blade friction and cuts back on the amount of sliced sandwich prep that stacks up on blades and tumbles onto the parking lot.
With an offset blade, scalloped cutting edge, and forked tip, the sandwich knife easily divides burgers and other sandwiches without getting your knuckles into the condiments and gives you an easy way to add that extra slice of cheddar. If used with care, you’ll get good blade life even if working on unfriendly surfaces like plates and platters instead of cutting boards. Fieri’s Chef Knife sports a full-sized 8-inch blade and an unusual handle design behind the red and black grip. Most chef’s knives incorporate a tang that’s in line with the spine of the blade. Fieri’s knife drops the angle of the tang for more comfortable wrist action. If you have large hands, you may find that a drawback, but otherwise it works well. The pommel of this knife could smash garlic cloves, but most of us prefer the flat of the blade.
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...
Yes, they’re flashy knives; and yes, they’re not quite what you’d expect of German cutlery — but this two-knife set was designed by California chef Guy Fieri. It’s meant for people who take tailgate cuisine seriously.
