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.
If you’re the sort of chef who loves a beautiful knife but also wants a knife to use, you’ll find them both in one knife when you buy the Shun Bob Kramer Pro paring knife. Beautiful enough to display, the Kramer Pro was also made for work.
Bob Kramer, a former chef who earned the distinctive title of Master Blade Smith from the American Bladesmith Society, partnered with Kai USA to create a line of kitchen cutlery built to high Japanese standards but with changes important to American chefs. Kramer’s experience in the kitchen taught him how most of us use our knives, and he built custom knives to fit those needs. Working with Kai USA, the manufacturer of Shun Cutlery, Kramer engineered a production line which retains many of those custom features.
This full tang paring knife features a comfortable grip shaped from dark Pakka-wood, a durable composite of real wood layers and synthetic resin. The 3 1/4 inch blade is Damascus-type steel, with outer layers of high carbon stainless steel for strength and durability and a center layer of SG-2 steel for better edge quality. The hardness exceeds that of many European and American brands, but lies between those and high-end Japanese knives. That gives you a cutting edge that lasts, stands up to the typical hard use habits of American chefs, and sharpens with standard equipment. You can use a sharpening steel to reset the edge.
What looks like a logo in the handle is an example of Kramer’s practical detailing, a handle rivet with extra flair. Etched on the blade, you’ll find the Kramer/Shun trademark.
See the Shun Paring Knife for a high-end Japanese style with a harder cutting edge of VG-10.
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...
If you’re the sort of chef who loves a beautiful knife but also wants a knife to use, you’ll find them both in one knife when you buy the Shun Bob Kramer Pro paring knife. Beautiful enough to display, the Kramer Pro was also made for work.
