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.
Kershaw Black Storm Knife 1470BLK | Folding Recurve Blade, One Handed w/ Pocket Clip
1 min read
Kershaw’s Black Storm’s recurved blade offers quick cutting action for severing rope and harness straps with a plain edge that’s easily sharpened with ordinary tools. With comfortable handle inserts and one-handed manual opening, it’s a knife that’s easy to understand and use.
While the Kershaw Black Shallot provides much the same cutting action as the Storm, that knife depends on advanced styling. The Black Storm uses technology that’s in plain sight and already familiar. The Storm’s 410 stainless steel handle slabs and frame don’t depend on shape alone for a good grip — the textured Trac-Tek inserts won’t slip, and the ribbed finger choil adds to the control. On the other plain stainless steel side of the handle, a pocket clip wide enough to slip easily over seams provides a secure but easily released carrying system. Even without the clip, it’s a good size for the pocket. Overall length of the Black Storm is 4 inches, and the weight is only 4.2 ounces.
The Black Storm’s three inch blade of Sandvik 13C26 stainless steel swings open with a push on either thumb stud and locks solidly with a strong frame lock. The lock mechanism keeps the blade in place in both closed and open positions. The shape of the Storm’s powder-coated blade is one of the knife’s best features. The slightly concave edge of the blade catches cordage and belts and presses the material against the cutting surface as the knife pulls back. The edge doesn’t just slide across — it pulls through the work. When it’s kept razor sharp, it works as well as a serrated edge in top condition. The best news of all is that you can keep this plain-edged recurve blade razor-sharp yourself with ordinary sharpening systems.
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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Kershaw’s Black Storm’s recurved blade offers quick cutting action for severing rope and harness straps with a plain edge that’s easily sharpened with ordinary tools. With comfortable handle inserts and one-handed manual opening, it’s a knife that’s easy to understand and use.
