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.
MIU 4 Piece Steak Knife Set | Pakkawood Handles | French Dining Cutlery
58 sec read
MIU France offers this four-piece pakkawood steak knife set without providing much technical information or even a description of warranty terms. The design of the knives in the set is very rustic and won’t be out of place at most table settings. Large handles and wide blades offer a good grip and a stout cutting edge.
The full tang build, triple riveted with brass that accents the pakkawood attractively, is stable and gap free. Pakkawood, a synthetic material, has the look of real hardwood without the faults and weaknesses of natural handles. There is real wood here, but it’s layered in a resin matrix and only simulates the grain patterns of hardwood. Pakkawood was designed to survive dishwashing machines without damage and surpasses ordinary hardwood in durability while keeping a natural wood look.
The 1810 stainless steel of the stamped blades is a grade more often found in flatware than in cutting tools. Very resistant to corrosion, this alloy isn’t so good at holding an edge. The forward portion of the blades is serrated for better results, but still the quality of the cut will be more like a table knife than a sharp high carbon steel steak knife. Once the serrations dull, much of the cutting action will be lost for good — some home sharpening systems will restore serrated blades, but results are uncertain.
The best feature of the MIU France four-piece steak knife set is the dishwasher resistance. If you want steak knives you can run through the washer without worry, these fit the bill.
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...
MIU France offers this four-piece pakkawood steak knife set without providing much technical information or even a description of warranty terms. The design of the knives in the set is very rustic and won’t be out of place at most table settings. Large handles and wide blades offer a good grip and a stout cutting edge.
