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.
Peter’s Sword From The Chronicles of Narnia Movie | Rhindon Aslan Hand and a Half Fantasy Blade
1 min read
This replica sword replicates the important details of Rhindon, the claymore carried by Peter Pevensie in his many battles to save the Kingdom of Narnia. Although this is obviously a display quality sword, the construction is surprisingly solid.
Peter’s sword is only a little bit fancy, with a sculpted lion’s head pommel plated with imitation gold and a hand-and-a-half style grip nearly 11 inches long and covered with genuine leather. At four pounds, it’s a two-hander for most modern people, but the design closely resembles true battlefield weapons — built for one-handed use but with a grip long enough for a powerful two-handed swing when needed. The 47-inch sword sports a fullered blade of 440 high carbon stainless steel, shaped with double edges but not truly sharp. Etched in the fullered groove are the words: “When Aslan bares his teeth, winter meets its death.” The plain cross-guard of nickel silver matches the style of the sword presented to Peter in the Narnia movie.
Fans of the Chronicles of Narnia should enjoy the quality of the sword’s workmanship and the attention paid to the fine points of the sword from both movie and story. Peter originally received the sword from Father Christmas, but the blade traveled with him through numerous campaigns, even spending more than a thousand years in a Narnian cave while Peter and his companions ducked back to finish up the remainder of their childhood in England. Upon his return to the kingdom, Peter reclaimed his sword.
For another movie replica sword of special interest to the younger sword collector, see the replica of Godric Gryffindor’s sword — Harry Potter’s favorite blade.
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.
This replica sword replicates the important details of Rhindon, the claymore carried by Peter Pevensie in his many battles to save the Kingdom of Narnia. Although this is obviously a display quality sword, the construction is surprisingly solid.
