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.
Musashi Samurai Katana Tokusen Handmade | Functional Tameshigiri Sword, Full Tang Black SS676
56 sec read
The Musashi SS676 from that company’s Tokusen line of practical cutters could be one of the best buys in modern backyard tameshigiri — or target-cutting — katanas.
To keep the price this low, Musashi took practical and logical cost-cutting steps like substituting modern steel fittings for the traditional cast brass bladeguard and pommel. Where it counts, specifically in the habaki (the collar at the base of the blade which makes a friction-fit with the scabbard), there’s still brass. Everything in the sword works well, and some owners might even consider the stronger steel fittings an improvement over the old pattern.
Musashi doesn’t specifically state that the tempering mark or hamon is authentic, and for this low price, the odds are good that it’s only decoration. The full tang high carbon steel blade is still consistently tempered and well-shaped with a blade thickness of 1/4 inch at the base of the 24-inch blade, tapering gradually to 3/16 inches at the tip of the sword. Wooden pegs fix the tang in the hardwood handle and can be tapped out for a complete disassembly of the weapon. Repairs and upgrades are possible.
Imitation rayskin covers the hardwood of the handle, but the woven cord ito is authentic black cotton. A matching black sageo wrap finishes off the black lacquered hardwood sheath. Although it’s a light duty cutter, the SS676 has many good features and looks good enough to display proudly.
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 Musashi SS676 from that company’s Tokusen line of practical cutters could be one of the best buys in modern backyard tameshigiri — or target-cutting — katanas.
