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 Zero Tolerance Ranger Knife | Fixed Dagger Tungsten Black Blade, G-10 Green Handle 0121
1 min read
The Ranger 0121 Fixed Blade from Kershaw U.S.A.’s Zero Tolerance line won’t win beauty contests, but you also don’t find many smaller backup knives as tough as pry bars. Keeping it strong and simple, the ZT Ranger won’t fail.
At only eight inches in overall length and 9.1 ounces in weight, the Ranger’s unusual four-inch-long dagger blade of high carbon S30V stainless steel still looks like a heavy-duty fighting knife. Both blade and full tang are wider than most civilian knives of this type, and that extra steel contributes to the knife’s rugged strength. Built for piercing as well as slashing, the compound curve of the plain cutting edge bites into rope or harness straps instead of sliding across. The cord-cutting notch is a little too close to the finger choil for convenient use. If you keep the blade sharp, you’ll probably cut through any cord small enough to fit the notch before you even find it.
The dark tungsten DLC coating of the Ranger’s non-reflective blade resists abrasion and adds to the steel’s already good corrosion resistance. Ample handle slabs of textured OD green G-10 provide extra hand traction and excellent twisting leverage. The G-10 is easy to grip in all types of weather and through extreme temperature changes as well as resisting damage from most chemicals. For extra safety, string a wrist lanyard through the hole in the knife’s heel.
Built with military rigging in mind, the Ranger’s Zytel sheath meets MOLLE standards and adapts to many types of gear as well. Nothing fancy is required — the sheath also fits nearly any ordinary belt, military or civilian.
See the CRKT Operator by Jim Hammond if you need a small knife of tactical quality with a slimmer build.
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 Ranger 0121 Fixed Blade from Kershaw U.S.A.’s Zero Tolerance line won’t win beauty contests, but you also don’t find many smaller backup knives as tough as pry bars. Keeping it strong and simple, the ZT Ranger won’t fail.
