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 Falchion took centuries to evolve from what was probably a butcher knife or kitchen cleaver pressed into emergency service into what became a cross between an ax and sword. The Medieval Falchion from Valiant Armoury is both an accurate reproduction of this old weapon and an example of how it gradually changes from generation to generation. Once a simple machete-like blade, the falchion took on aspects of Persian and Chinese weapons over the years, and now that it’s made in the Philippines, it’s possible to see some of that machete concept coming back. That’s something I like about Valiant’s products — they show ideas, not just copies. I can see the influence of the people who made this, not just the designers.
This 22-and-a-half-inch blade with hand-forged fullering and Persian-style upsweep is actually heavier than some of the old battlefield models of the Falchion. Three-and-a-half pounds of high carbon steel, macassar ebony, and leather wrapping makes this functional 28.75-inch replica a very impressive sword. Polished steel cross guard and pommel follow the old functional design, but the handle itself gives the piece unexpected flair. The sword includes a matching scabbard.
In terms of pure authenticity the Medieval Falchion is just a little too good. Swords of this weight and class were favored by the working soldiers, very often pressed into service off the farms of the day and matched up to weapons that equaled their abilities. Peasant soldiers received less training than the nobility or professional soldiers, coming into the military world with skills derived from handling farm tools. Weapons were provided that matched the feel and action of farm implements. A sword this advanced would probably have been out of their reach. Their loss, our gain.
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 Falchion took centuries to evolve from what was probably a butcher knife or kitchen cleaver pressed into emergency service into what became a cross between an ax and sword. The Medieval Falchion from Valiant Armoury is both an accurate reproduction of this old weapon and an example of how it gradually changes from generation to generation. Once a simple machete-like blade, the falchion took on aspects of Persian and Chinese weapons over the years, and now that it’s made in the Philippines, it’s possible to see some of that machete concept coming back. That’s something I like about Valiant’s products — they show ideas, not just copies. I can see the influence of the people who made this, not just the designers.
