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 Nemesis Battle Axe, sold as a fully functional battle weapon, does outclass most other modern martial arts axes. Many of the modern versions of this intimidating double-bladed axe are intentionally lightweight, built more for kata than for fighting. Though this is a very nice axe, and a type of weapon that wouldn’t be easy to find outside of a museum in the days before the Internet, I did notice something that concerned me as a practical axeman. Even though my chopping involves trees, the same standards should apply.
Straight grained wood really is hard to find today, and any commercial handle maker sneaks a few questionable pieces through often enough. For a battle axe to be perfect, the grain of the wood has to be as good as the steel, so the Nemesis may not be quite battle ready. It’s the handle quality I question, and since that varies with each, you may get one that is perfect. The construction is complex for an axe — hidden partial tangs held by multiple steel rivets weaken the wooden shaft. Replacing a broken handle would be a major problem for someone who isn’t a craftsman. Other than that, you’re pretty well set to create havoc and mayhem. The axe isn’t light — at 5.5 pounds, it’s about double the weight of a hardware store version. The blades of the Nemesis have been engineered in the same way old battle axes actually were forged. Crescent-shaped blades with 9.5 inches of cutting edge each, backed up by a sleek eye design and streamlined head, give lots of chopping potential plus the opportunity for a quick rebound. Authentic steel spikes add two more good reasons to stand clear. A little careful practice with the Nemesis and you’ll have respect for the people who wielded these in other times.
Hand forged in the Philippines, the 35-inch long Nemesis developed from the work of American designers Christian Fletcher and Angus Trim in conjunction with Valiant Armoury. Many of Valiant’s pieces are based on real weapons displayed in museums. Philippine craftsmen working with hand forged carbon steel and rare hardwoods bring these old ideas back to life.
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 Nemesis Battle Axe, sold as a fully functional battle weapon, does outclass most other modern martial arts axes. Many of the modern versions of this intimidating double-bladed axe are intentionally lightweight, built more for kata than for fighting. Though this is a very nice axe, and a type of weapon that wouldn’t be easy to find outside of a museum in the days before the Internet, I did notice something that concerned me as a practical axeman. Even though my chopping involves trees, the same standards should apply.
