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.
Havalon Piranta Pro Original Skinning Knife | Surgical Stainless Steel Locking One Handed Blade
1 min read
The Original Piranta Pro Skinning Knife from Havalon Knives offers outdoorsmen the quick blade changes and razor-sharp edges preferred by surgeons. Carry extra blades instead of a whetstone, and you’ll save weight.
Designed for skinning and caping large and small game animals, the 6-3/4-inch open-length Piranta Pro starts with a strong stainless steel frame grip inlaid with G-10 panels for a secure hold in all conditions. The tacky surface of G-10 won’t slip if wet and doesn’t change character when the weather gets cold. A strong frame lock keeps the blade open unless released, and a steel tab at the base of the blade shank allows one-handed opening.
What’s different about the Piranta is the 2-3/4-inch disposable high carbon stainless steel blade — not just one, but the original and a dozen extra. A slot in the blade corresponds to a keyed slide on the shank. Just lift the base of the blade and slide it forward to remove an old blade, and slip a new one on in seconds. It works well even with cold hands. The thin blades come already razor sharp and last well enough to field dress a deer on just one blade. Using the Piranta does take an adjustment in technique, because the highly tempered blades snap if twisted or levered while cutting. Like a surgeon, you’ll need to slice instead of gouge, but the Piranta’s blade cuts through heavy hide, meat, and ligaments without forcing. If it’s hard work and requires a lot of pressure, that’s a sign you need to switch out the blade.
The Piranta includes a stainless steel pocket clip and a slot for a lanyard loop, but you’ll need to stash the extra blades separately. Blades come in individual sealed pouches but with no case.
See the Piranta-Z for the next stage in Havalon’s hunting knife series.
Find this Havalon Piranta Pro Original Skinning Knife:
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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The Original Piranta Pro Skinning Knife from Havalon Knives offers outdoorsmen the quick blade changes and razor-sharp edges preferred by surgeons. Carry extra blades instead of a whetstone, and you’ll save weight.
