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.
Mundigrip Chef’s Knife Set of 7 by Mundial 58-983 | Professional & Ergonomic Kitchen Cutlery w/ Travel Case
1 min read
Built for the traveling professional chef, this 7-piece Mundigrip Chef’s Knife Set from Mundial of Brazil would also make a great starter set for the culinary student. One of the practical features of this economical and efficient assortment is that losing one of these knives won’t take a huge chunk out of your paycheck.
Mundial’s MundiGrip line is one of the company’s three brands intended for professional use and may be the company’s best. Most knives are designed for use in one grip position only, but the ergonomic MundiGrip gives fatigue-reducing control in three different common hand positions. The non-slip grip has a soft texture and allows the user to shift the hand forward comfortably for better control. Since we’re all going to do whatever works the best, it’s great to see a knife design that works with us.
The NSF-certified knife set includes chef’s knife, santoku, and serrated bread knife as well as a smaller boning knife, offset sandwich knife, and paring knife. All knives are built with full tang handles embedded in anti-microbial MundiGrips. These blades begin as cold rolled steel; the stamped high carbon stainless steel offers edge-holding performance that’s competitive with forged steel blades. This lighter stamped construction reduces fatigue and eases the repetitive stress of long hours in the kitchen.
All the plain-edged knives are easily reset with an ordinary honing steel, but the serrated blades would eventually need professional sharpening or replacement. The carrying case — designed especially for Mundial knives — includes space for a few other important items.
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...
Built for the traveling professional chef, this 7-piece Mundigrip Chef’s Knife Set from Mundial of Brazil would also make a great starter set for the culinary student. One of the practical features of this economical and efficient assortment is that losing one of these knives won’t take a huge chunk out of your paycheck.
