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.
House of Flying Daggers Sword of Leo | Chinese Kung Fu Broadsword w/ Scabbard
58 sec read
This replica of Captain Leo’s broad sword from the hit kung fu movie House of Flying Daggers looks better than most true combat broadswords of today. Antiqued cast steel fittings give the sword an authentic appearance with quality materials and workmanship throughout.
The 38-inch-long sword’s 2-1/4-inch high carbon 440 stainless steel blade fits a solid hardwood scabbard covered with dark leather that matches the character of the sword itself. This replica weapon’s scabbard deserves as much attention as its 26-inch polished blade. You’ll probably prefer to display this weapon in the sheath, since the gleaming stainless steel doesn’t match the dark steel of the Tang Dynasty, the historical setting of the House of Flying Daggers story. Ground with a single bevel and flat spine, the sword does match the style of many heavier weapons of old China where the broadsword was one of the most common soldier’s arms. All this one lacks visually is the dark patina of old combat steel.
Similar to Captain Jin’s sword, Leo’s broad sword has its own unique style with a heavy cutlass blade and squared hand guard. In the story of these two Tang Dynasty police captains, each man appeared to follow the same ideals, but beneath the surface, the two detectives fought for different reasons. To some degree, the similarities and differences of their personal broadswords symbolize key themes of the movie — one man more refined and the other more brutal, but both focused towards the same grim ending.
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.
This replica of Captain Leo’s broad sword from the hit kung fu movie House of Flying Daggers looks better than most true combat broadswords of today. Antiqued cast steel fittings give the sword an authentic appearance with quality materials and workmanship throughout.
