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.
One of the few applications in the kitchen where a serrated knife edge actually makes good sense is when slicing bread. Serrated edges also usually mark knives intended for occasional use or eventual disposal. The Shun Kramer Pro bread knife is in a different class, a knife you’ll love to use and will want to keep.
The most simple reason you’ll like this knife is length. A 10-inch cutting edge works much better on home-baked bread than an 8-inch blade. Rustic loaves find their own dimensions, and the more blade you have, the more able you are to deal with those home-baked shapes. Actually slicing the bread calls for something that grips better than the smooth edge of a slicing knife, but not all serration patterns work smoothly on hard crusts. Sharp points tend to sink and tear as the blade cuts, but the rounded teeth on this knife drop into the work without ripping the crust.
You’ll value the good looks of this knife as much as its efficiency. Damascus-style steel creates a blade with a beautiful rippled texture, showing the thin layers of high carbon stainless steel that give extra strength to the harder core layer of SG-2 steel. SG-2 gives the knife a long-lasting cutting edge with more toughness than the hard but fragile SG-1 that’s standard in other Shun cutlery. If you do happen to drag the edge across a hard surface while cutting, you’re less likely to chip the teeth of this knife.
Handle slabs of Pakka-wood give the full-tang grip the look of Brazilian rose wood, but increase the knife’s durability. With proper care, including careful use and hand washing, the cutting edge could last for years. Pair the knife with a compatible cutting board of poly, hardwood, or bamboo to extend the life of the edge.
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...
One of the few applications in the kitchen where a serrated knife edge actually makes good sense is when slicing bread. Serrated edges also usually mark knives intended for occasional use or eventual disposal. The Shun Kramer Pro bread knife is in a different class, a knife you’ll love to use and will want to keep.
