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.
Night Stalker Fantasy Knife, Black Bat | Futuristic Punch Dagger Sword by Trademark Global w/ Display Plaque
1 min read
Imported from China by Trademark Global, the Night Stalker Fantasy Knife Sword looks best on the polished hardwood wall plaque but can be worn on the arm. If you’re tempted to try it out, consider some of the basic safety issues and punch with caution.
High carbon stainless steel wings, painted black, serve as the major blades and cutting edges of this futuristic punch dagger. The steel used for the wings is surprisingly thin and crudely beveled, making the knife sword more a sharpened steel plate than a real knife. That doesn’t make it much less dangerous, since any strike by the Night Stalker seems destined to cause injury. Durability is in question. In construction of this type, many of the mechanical details either become decoration or are hidden by it, and the many rivet heads holding this apparatus together serve both purposes here. The most important joints — holding the palm grip to the wing blades — become the base for decorative cast metal claws. The forearm brace — which would take most of the load if the knife delivered a real strike — becomes the cast metal body of a prone vampire bat, the central theme of this fantasy weapon. The tongue of the bat protrudes as a long steel spike.
The Night Stalker Fantasy Knife is unusual and could be an interesting piece for the fantasy weapons collector. Probably in not too many years, one of these in mint condition will be one of a kind, and it does catch attention as a display piece. If you’re also interested in the practical side, you won’t find a lot of that here. Hooked sections at the rear of the wings could literally turn against the owner if a hard strike knocks the brace off the forearm.
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.
Imported from China by Trademark Global, the Night Stalker Fantasy Knife Sword looks best on the polished hardwood wall plaque but can be worn on the arm. If you’re tempted to try it out, consider some of the basic safety issues and punch with caution.
