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.
Henckels International Fine Edge Pro 3-Piece Kitchen Cutlery Knife Set
1 min read
This set of three fundamental home chef’s knives from J. A. Henckels Cutlery is a reasonable choice for someone starting out on a budget. The Professional Series from which these knives are taken isn’t the finest Henckels has to offer, but it’s serviceable if you are willing to spend time on edge maintenance.
In this set you get an 8″ blade chef’s knife, 5″ blade utility knife, and 3″ blade paring knife–all well designed blades with gap free polpropylene handle slabs securely riveted to the full tang knife blanks. Stamped from rolls of high carbon stainless steel, the blades will not have the superior edge holding quality of knives that are hand forged. Cost cutting usually also involves oven tempering in large lots and sometimes a wide variation in quality from knife to knife.
The end result is a set of knives that one person may love and another may find troublesome. In every factory batch there will be great knives, and the not so great as well. The flat grind makes getting a good initial edge a little more difficult, and often takes some hand honing with a good whetstone before a sharpening steel will be of much help. This same grind gives lower quality steel a very strong edge, so it isn’t a bad trade-off. It just requires more attention from the owner.
The stainless steel Henckels uses is not corrosion free–chosen for qualities beyond simple corrosion protection, the blades survive best if hand washed rather than run through dishwashers. The gap free construction makes hand washing simple. Check the edge while you’re at it.
Looking for a better set in the same price range? Check out our favorite small set — the Forschner 3-piece set.
Find this Henckels Fine Edge Pro Kitchen Knife Set:
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 set of three fundamental home chef’s knives from J. A. Henckels Cutlery is a reasonable choice for someone starting out on a budget. The Professional Series from which these knives are taken isn’t the finest Henckels has to offer, but it’s serviceable if you are willing to spend time on edge maintenance.
