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.
Medieval War Hammer Replica | Armor Piercing Weapon | High Carbon Stainless Steel
1 min read
This surprisingly well-made replica war hammer copies an old medieval battle hammer used against heavily armoured knights and their war horses. The cast high carbon stainless steel hammer head outshines the old weapons, yet holds close to the old functional design with only a few modern weak points.
Compared to museum pieces, the handle of this 27-inch long war hammer isn’t quite stout enough for the size of its heavy hammer head. Older versions matched smaller hammerheads to longer shafts — the strap which fixes head to handle was also high carbon steel and more securely pinned. This replica piece uses a plated metal strap and less rugged fastening methods — the hammer has an authentic look, but in actual use would soon present some problems.
The pommel of hardened carbon steel provides a third attack point but only resembles the old functional pommels. Drive it through a target and it will probably stay in the target, since it isn’t attached flush to the base of the shaft.
In spite of all that, this is still a very interesting piece for the collector and will hold up to a few good practice swings if someone wants to get the feel of what once was a common battle tool. When knights became so well plated that swords were ineffective against them, warriors turned to the spiked hammer. The pointed end drove through weak points or hooked riders for a surprise dismount. Where steel couldn’t penetrate, the fluted hammer face often did fatal damage anyway, driving lethal shock waves through dented helmets. This modern war hammer copies the one-handed style used against foot soldiers rather than cavalry. Most modern people will need both hands to handle this weapon safely.
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.
This surprisingly well-made replica war hammer copies an old medieval battle hammer used against heavily armoured knights and their war horses. The cast high carbon stainless steel hammer head outshines the old weapons, yet holds close to the old functional design with only a few modern weak points.
