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 Kitchen Prep Knife Starter Set w/ Sharpening Steel | Forged Four Star 3 Piece
1 min read
Three useful prep knives and a matching sharpening steel make up this set of starter cutlery from J.A. Henckels of Solingen, Germany. Modern manufacturing processes at Henckels build in quality you won’t suspect on first sight.
The smallest knife in the set — the Four Star Paring Knife — is fully forged from one uniform piece of high carbon stainless steel alloy. With a rat tail tang firmly embedded in the formed polypropylene handle and a solid steel forged bolster, this paring knife is strong enough to take considerable abuse. The two larger knives — a six-inch utility knife and an eight-inch chef’s knife — were built with a more complex method.
For each of the larger knives in the Four Star series, Henckels welds a bar of three different types of stainless steel. These alloys are chosen because of qualities especially suited to their positions in blade, bolster, and handle tang. After forging the bolster, the remainder of the shape is laser-cut, not stamped. That shapes the pattern of the knife without introducing stress points or altering the composition of the alloy. A complex tempering process includes Friodur ice-hardening during which the knife blanks are chilled to a drastic -70 degrees C.
These three durable and comfortable knives are enough to handle most basic kitchen prep, although chefs will certainly find reason to acquire more. Build on these three as a practical foundation for more complicated work. The Four Star knives are easily maintained with tough cutting edges that hone quickly with the sharpening steel. Henckels recommends hand washing and drying — machine washing could gradually erode the steel.
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...
Three useful prep knives and a matching sharpening steel make up this set of starter cutlery from J.A. Henckels of Solingen, Germany. Modern manufacturing processes at Henckels build in quality you won’t suspect on first sight.
