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.
Using a museum piece as a template, Paul Chen of Hanwei forge recreates the old Scottish Highlander Basket-Hilt Broadsword in new materials with a traditional finish. Blade and basket hand guard of stainless steel sport an antiqued patina that gives this piece the look of true age. Even the maker’s name from the original old sword appears on this reproduction’s blade.
With the name comes a little mystery, since Andrea Ferara probably did not forge the original weapon. The blade came from Germany, and after about a hundred years was re-fitted with the new Scottish basket hilt. One-handed Claymores of this kind were a response to new threats on the battlefields of the sixteenth century. Muskets made new tactics necessary, and the old two-handed Claymores were set aside in favor of lighter blades and shields. The fast Highland Charge brought swordsmen into close fighting range before musketeers could do much damage to their ranks.
Chen’s Scottish Highlander Broadsword matches the look of the best work of that day, with a grip of wire wrapped rayskin and a liner of leather covered with felt. The 33.5-inch double-edged blade is tempered high carbon stainless steel and completely functional. Overall length of this weapon is 39.75 inches, and with a weight of just over three pounds the action and balance is a good match for the swords still carried by officers of the Highland Guard.
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.
Using a museum piece as a template, Paul Chen of Hanwei forge recreates the old Scottish Highlander Basket-Hilt Broadsword in new materials with a traditional finish. Blade and basket hand guard of stainless steel sport an antiqued patina that gives this piece the look of true age. Even the maker’s name from the original old sword appears on this reproduction’s blade.
