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.
Josh Buck Gen 5 Skinner w/ Charcoal Birch Wood Handle | Fixed Blade Full Tang Knife
1 min read
The thick bolster makes this light skinner look heavy, but in the Buck Gen-5 Skinner Fixed Blade knife, Al Buck’s old ideas have been updated and streamlined. Josh Buck — the fifth generation of the Buck family to design fine hunting and skinning knives — included all the strength of a full tang skinner but pared back to meet today’s high standards. Total weight of the slab-handled knife is only 4.2 ounces, even with the traditional handle design. Some of the dropped weight came from the sheath, not the knife. The Buck Gen 5 Skinner comes with a black nylon sheath of functional, heavy-duty fabric.
Pinned slabs of charcoal black birchwood form the polished grip of the Gen-5, and the color makes a beautiful contrast against the nickel-silver bolster and bright 420HC stainless steel blade. The wide hollow grind has such a shallow angle that the blade’s strength is hardly affected. The Gen 5 offers the same sharpening ease you’d expect from a good hollow ground blade. The knife has a good balance, and the handle gives plenty of twisting leverage even though the bulk has been trimmed away. Edges have been rounded just enough to limit blisters during hard use. It’s a beautiful knife made for real work.
Several variations of Josh Buck’s new skinner are currently available, including a limited issue of 1000 with cocobola wood handle slabs and brass fittings. Inspired by the woodwork of fine guitars, the Buck Gen 5 Cocobola Guitar Skinner features a polished blade of 154CM stainless steel with abalone shell inlay concealing the handle rivets. For a look at this collector’s version of the Buck Gen-5 Skinner, click here.
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.
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The thick bolster makes this light skinner look heavy, but in the Buck Gen-5 Skinner Fixed Blade knife, Al Buck’s old ideas have been updated and streamlined. Josh Buck — the fifth generation of the Buck family to design fine hunting and skinning knives — included all the strength of a full tang skinner but pared back to meet today’s high standards. Total weight of the slab-handled knife is only 4.2 ounces, even with the traditional handle design. Some of the dropped weight came from the sheath, not the knife. The Buck Gen 5 Skinner comes with a black nylon sheath of functional, heavy-duty fabric.
