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.
Myerchin’s Model A500 Offshore Knife developed in response to requests from Coast Guard sailors and divers in southern California. These professionals wanted a knife specially designed to cut through heavy rigging quickly and stow away with a low profile. No one made a rigging knife that satisfied that need until Myerchin did.
The Model A500 Offshore Knife has now become standard equipment for Coast Guardsmen, Merchant Marines, and anyone who works with heavy rigging. When you need the quickest answer, the Model A500 provides it. Only eight inches long and seven ounces in weight, the concave cutting edge is designed for cutting rope and harness fast. Machined and ground from a single bar of heavy 440C high carbon stainless steel, the A500 shows good corrosion resistance and holds a cutting edge well. Since users who spend long periods on the ocean can’t get by with serrated blades that only get sharpened at the factory, Myerchin designed a serrated edge which can be resharpened by hand with a tapered round file. In the corrosive conditions of extended time at sea, some careful maintenance keeps the A500 in top shape.
The flat build of the Myerchin A500 — combined with the versatile mounting options of its sheath — allow sailors, fishermen, and climbers to lash the knife to gear or wear it on the belt. The low profile of the system reduces its chances of snagging on other equipment or catching on natural obstacles. The nylon fabric sheath includes a Velcro-closure flap that keeps the A500 in place in any position. String a wrist loop through the lanyard hole in the tang for extra security.
If you’ve been waiting for a serrated knife you can actually keep sharp, the wait’s over.
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.
Designed by Doug Ritter of “Equipped to Survive,” the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak earned positive reviews from survival instructor Cody Lundin and...
Multi-purpose gear for hikers, backpackers, and other outdoorsmen gets better every year. If you make the Buck 731 X-Tract LED Multi-Tool part of your...
Myerchin’s Model A500 Offshore Knife developed in response to requests from Coast Guard sailors and divers in southern California. These professionals wanted a knife specially designed to cut through heavy rigging quickly and stow away with a low profile. No one made a rigging knife that satisfied that need until Myerchin did.
