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 most sensible improvements to any multitool is a separate knife to use instead of the awkward pen-knife blade that’s the usual multitool fold-out option. That’s what Leatherman offers in the Core Multitool and C33LX pocket folder combo.
By itself, the Core version of the popular Leatherman handyman’s multitool already offers an option for nearly any situation. Twelve foldout blades and the central pair of pliers feature the quality construction you should expect from Leatherman. The Core also has some new tricks to share which multitool users have wanted for years. Two knife blades — one serrated and one plain-edged — plus hollow ground screwdriver bits for precision screws and lockback on all blades in the kit. You’ll also find the usual file blade, saw, and more of the familiar bits you always need.
Add to this the Crater pocket folding knife with 2.6-inch combo serrated blade of 420HC high carbon stainless steel, and you have a sound fundamental tool kit for pocket and belt. The Crater C33LX also has a couple of interesting features you’d not immediately spot. The lockback isn’t a surprise, but the lightweight handle material resists most chemicals including DEET — if your hand has ever stuck to your tools after putting on mosquito repellent, you’ll appreciate this. The Crater offers more than one carrying system with a folding carabiner clip and an optional stainless steel pocket clip. With all that, the Crater still weighs only 2.36 ounces.
The Core Multitool comes with its own belt sheath of nylon fabric with Velcro flap closure.
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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One of the most sensible improvements to any multitool is a separate knife to use instead of the awkward pen-knife blade that’s the usual multitool fold-out option. That’s what Leatherman offers in the Core Multitool and C33LX pocket folder combo.
