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.
Messermeister Chef’s Knife, San Moritz Elite | Forged Bolsterless w/ POM Handle ME2686-8
58 sec read
Forged in what Messermeister calls a bolsterless style, the San Moritz Elite limits the bolster to the base of the knife’s tang, leaving the entire cutting edge open for use. The minimal bolster still contributes strength to the knife and matches perfectly to the molded POM handle.
This rat tail tang knife’s seamless handle ends in a polished stainless steel pommel with dropped heel, making the knife comfortable to work with and easy to grip. Gapless construction prevents buildup of food particles and eliminates that potential source of cross contamination.
Built in the classic chef’s knife style, the camber of the molybdenum vanadium stainless steel blade’s eight-inch cutting edge allows rocking as well as slicing movement. Although it’s heavy enough at the base for chopping, the blade tapers towards the tip. This gradual change in the blade allows different parts to perform well at a full range of lighter kitchen tasks including peeling, trimming, slicing, dicing, and mincing. If something needs doing, there’s usually a way to do it with the chef’s knife, since each part of the blade is fitted to a different purpose. The San Moritz blade is built extra wide, increasing the range of the knife and also putting more room between the knuckles and the cutting board. Sometimes referred to as the flagship knife, it’s the most versatile knife in a European-style kitchen.
The Messermeister San Moritz provides space for personalized engraving and comes packaged in a handsome gift box.
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...
Forged in what Messermeister calls a bolsterless style, the San Moritz Elite limits the bolster to the base of the knife’s tang, leaving the entire cutting edge open for use. The minimal bolster still contributes strength to the knife and matches perfectly to the molded POM handle.
