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.
Rapala Cordless Fishing Fillet Knife, Electric Serrated | Rechargeable Battery w/ Charging Station & Adapter
58 sec read
Rapala’s Deluxe Cordless Fillet Knife lets you work anywhere without a power cord to get in your way. The fast recharge time and convenient charging station give this fillet set plenty of backup power for those days when you’ve caught your limit.
The air-cooled DC motor of this electric fillet knife depends on a portable DC battery power pack which snaps into place with the same convenience you’d find in any good modern portable power tool. One fully-charged power pack should handle the entire day’s catch, but the cordless set includes a backup pack just to make sure. Charging one battery pack fully takes about four hours, so remember to juice up the batteries before the fishing trip, not after.
The fillet knife switches easily from the six-inch serrated blade to a more capable seven-and-a-half-inch blade, letting you work with precision on fish of different sizes. Although the knife is fully warranted against defects for two years after purchase, Rapala does warn against overtaxing the air-cooled motor. Built for intermittent use, the Rapala fillet knife should be allowed to cool if you feel the motor or power pack overheating. It’s possible to block the cooling vents in the handle while working, and that does exaggerate the problem.
Both the stainless steel blades and the battery packs are replaceable items but should be long-lived if used correctly. The set comes in a compact molded plastic case, making the entire kit — two blades, two power packs, motorized handle, and charging station — easy to take along on trips.
See the Rapala 110VAC fillet knife for a less expensive, lighter, corded version of the electric fillet knife.
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...
Leatherman’s back with an even stronger version of the original Leatherman Super Tool. The Super Tool 300 Multi-tool offers the strongest pair of multi-tool...
Rapala’s Deluxe Cordless Fillet Knife lets you work anywhere without a power cord to get in your way. The fast recharge time and convenient charging station give this fillet set plenty of backup power for those days when you’ve caught your limit.
