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.
Knife Storage Tray for Global Steak Knives | Stainless Steel w/ Rubber Lining
57 sec read
Yoshikin’s Global knives literally are too sharp for safe storage if just loose in a drawer. The edges could abrade or chip if banged into other metal tools, and sorting through a mess of tools with these razor-sharp edges floating about is hazardous to fingers. This Steak Knife Storage Tray from Global offers a convenient way to store and protect four Global steak knives.
Built from stainless steel, this storage tray shows the trademark handle dimples as a decoration on the corner. Knife slots are lined with a rubberized coating, which also covers the edges of the tray. Four short rubber feet on the bottom of the tray keep the storage system from sliding about in the drawer. Only 10-3/4 by 5-1/2 by 1-3/8 inches, the tray takes up a reasonable amount of drawer space and leaves enough room between knives for convenient placement and removal.
Be careful to thoroughly dry the knives before storage, since the steel and rubber construction of the tray isn’t conducive to evaporation. Storing knives away wet could cause corrosion problems or get mold started in the knife slots. Wooden storage blocks aren’t immune to those troubles, but the absorbency of wood makes them temporary problems.
The tray isn’t limited to drawer storage — some wooden in-drawer storage systems wouldn’t hold up to countertop use, but the stand-alone construction of this tray makes it usable on countertops or on kitchen cabinet shelves as well. Wiping down the outside with a damp cloth should be all the care it needs.
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...
Yoshikin’s Global knives literally are too sharp for safe storage if just loose in a drawer. The edges could abrade or chip if banged into other metal tools, and sorting through a mess of tools with these razor-sharp edges floating about is hazardous to fingers. This Steak Knife Storage Tray from Global offers a convenient way to store and protect four Global steak knives.
