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.
Japanese Import Sashimi Sushi Knife | Asian Cutlery 9 1/4 Inch
1 min read
Always interesting and always a gamble, I see many knives of this type on the shelves of locally-owned Asian supermarkets when we’re out shopping for unusual food. It’s hard to know if you’ve found a bargain in a knife like this until you bring it home.
What you can tell by looking is that this is a mass-produced knife in a very old style, with a wooden handle prone to water damage and a thin metal ferrule that under stress may not keep the rat tail tang securely in place. Most knives today are high carbon stainless steel, but if you buy imported knives you may get lucky and find old carbon steel now and then even today. The blade is likely to be good but not great.
Import knives like this are an adventure in shopping and not necessarily a bad thing. This is the way knives used to be made, and with proper care they do last — the dishwasher is a forbidden zone, and even immersion in water is a bad idea since the tang is a simple press fit that loosens when wet. Standards of workmanship are uncertain — even if there’s a lifetime warranty slip in the box with this sashimi sushi blade, it’s probably only worth the paper it’s printed on.
I have several knives of similar quality and origin, because I’m prone to buy souvenirs even when I’m not on vacation. In the kitchen they’ve never been quite so nice as they seemed in the box. When you buy a knife you intend to use daily, you’re better off with a big name brand and a reliable product history.
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...
Always interesting and always a gamble, I see many knives of this type on the shelves of locally-owned Asian supermarkets when we’re out shopping for unusual food. It’s hard to know if you’ve found a bargain in a knife like this until you bring it home.
