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.
Microtech UTX-70 Automatic Tactical Knife | Partial Serrated Black Pocketknife
1 min read
The UTX-70 from Microtech tones down the size of this automatic tactical design without skimping on quality. Made to the same exacting standards as Microtech’s larger combat knives, the UTX-70 offers fully-automatic opening and closing at the push of a button. With a 2.4-inch partially serrated blade of 154-CM high carbon stainless steel and a closed length of 3.22 inches, this is almost a gentleman’s knife. It’s an interesting idea — a pocket knife in an automatic style — but I don’t often see a tactical design this small.
A blade of this size isn’t enough to be intimidating, and the handle isn’t large enough to really grip. Fitting this knife into a search-and-rescue role for slashing seat belts or a last resort tactical knife doesn’t quite work. But if it were an option for me to carry one of these, I’d definitely leave the folding lockback at home. You may like the ordinary pocketknife design, but once you’ve played with the automatic version, there’s really no going back. Every other folding knife only wishes it could be one of these.
This is only one of several combinations of blade styles and handle materials available. Handles come in black carbon fiber, platinum coated carbon fiber, or less expensive but durable aluminum. Internal aluminum parts are military grade alloy — trigger and pocket clip are long-lasting stainless steel. With a weight of only one ounce, this would be a great pocket knife for ultralight hikers.
High quality is backed up with an excellent warranty, but Microtech asks for proof of employment in either the military or police forces before accepting knives for repair. For the rest of us civilians, this is a collector’s piece. Check your local laws to find out if you’re the
exception to the rule.
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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The UTX-70 from Microtech tones down the size of this automatic tactical design without skimping on quality. Made to the same exacting standards as Microtech’s larger combat knives, the UTX-70 offers fully-automatic opening and closing at the push of a button. With a 2.4-inch partially serrated blade of 154-CM high carbon stainless steel and a closed length of 3.22 inches, this is almost a gentleman’s knife. It’s an interesting idea — a pocket knife in an automatic style — but I don’t often see a tactical design this small.
