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.
J.A. Henckels Chef’s Knife Case | Portable Cutlery Storage 16 Slot
1 min read
Although there seem to be plenty of happy owners of this 16-slot knife case from J. A. Henckels, I can only recommend it as a temporary solution. The bag has a nice look and a reasonable amount of space with the layout you’d expect from a good knife case, but I’ve traveled too much to trust the vinyl, elastic straps, and especially the locking latches.
The basic material used is vinyl on canvas — that’s even the build of the handle, a very lightweight strap and the only carrying method for this case. There’s no shoulder strap and no loops for one, so the strap that’s stitched to the case is all you’ll have. That’s not a comfortable or secure way to carry the several pounds of knives and accessories that will fill this case.
An elastic strap system holds knives in their individual pockets, and since elastic fatigues, any fit that’s secure in the beginning will get looser over time. The design of this bag doesn’t allow tight rolling, so those straps and pockets are all that holds your knives in the case.
In general I have nothing good to say about vinyl. It starts out looking good but eventually cracks and peels. Heat and UV light are both tough on it, so the lifetime of this case’s good looks and spill resistance will depend on how much of those it gets.
I used to believe in the importance of suitcase-quality locks, until a suspicious customs official showed me how easy they are to defeat. Locks of this quality take longer to open with a key than without one, so don’t depend on them to keep your knives safe and secure.
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...
Although there seem to be plenty of happy owners of this 16-slot knife case from J. A. Henckels, I can only recommend it as a temporary solution. The bag has a nice look and a reasonable amount of space with the layout you’d expect from a good knife case, but I’ve traveled too much to trust the vinyl, elastic straps, and especially the locking latches.
