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.
Masahiro Red Date Sword w/ Scabbard | Masamune Functional Katana, Hand Forged & Tempered
1 min read
The Masahiro Red Date Masamune Katana represented Masahiro’s functional cutter swords and is built for light cutting practice. The company’s checkered history makes some buyers think twice, but Masahiro swords could be one of the real bargains on the market now. That probably won’t last much longer.
The 42-3/4-inch-long Red Date Masamune Katana shows a nearly full-length hi or blood groove on the 28-inch blade of hand forged and tempered 1045 high carbon steel. Sageo and ito are genuine cotton, not synthetic, and the red lacquered scabbard is hardwood. Construction is solid with a strong tsuba of cast metal decorated with a samurai motif. Sharpened and used properly, the Red Date should be a good, light-duty cutter. There is a catch.
Some years ago, a marketing company created the brand names Masahiro and Ryumon to represent the hand-forged swords of several different forges in mainland China. With new products arriving from a variety of builders, quality control suffered and Masahiro received initially poor reviews. The cold reception of their cold steel hampered improvements, and now there’s neither website nor warranty to support these nearly orphaned weapons.
In spite of this, some brave consumers discovered that not all Masahiro blades were disappointing. In fact, most were good swords, and if you want to step up to the more expensive, professional-quality Ryumon swords, some are simply great. Remaining stocks have been in storage for a long time and could have minor blemishes as a result — these cutters were not made from stainless steel. Prices have dropped drastically, and soon the last original Masahiro may be in some collector’s hands.
Check out the Ryumon Katana for a look at a professional-quality product from this same manufacturer.
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 Masahiro Red Date Masamune Katana represented Masahiro’s functional cutter swords and is built for light cutting practice. The company’s checkered history makes some buyers think twice, but Masahiro swords could be one of the real bargains on the market now. That probably won’t last much longer.
