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.
Shun Electric Kitchen Knife Sharpener, Black AP0119 | Asian Cutlery Ceramic 16 Degree Bevel Hone
1 min read
A blend of good ideas and disappointing realities, the Shun APO119 Electric Knife Sharpener seems more suited to cheap cutlery than the beautiful and expensive Damascus-type blades of Shun Cutlery. In fact, you’ll definitely want to practice on cheaper knives first because as with any old style grinder, there’s a learning curve involved.
The best of today’s Asian knives are ground with a more acute bevel than equivalent European blades — that means most electric sharpeners won’t regrind Asian knives from companies like Shun correctly. A slim 16-degree bevel would be hacked down to a wide 25-degree bevel, and the knife just wouldn’t work as it should. Shun is all about making that slimmer edge strong and dependable — the best way to keep a Shun knife in top shape is by hand with a waterstone, or by hiring a professional.
For those who haven’t mastered the whetstone, the usual answer is an electric sharpener. Results aren’t as good, but modern grinders get better every year, and that’s what we should expect from this Shun version built especially for 16-degree knives. Instead, the machine runs a set of ceramic grinding wheels without lubrication. While that might be good enough for cheap steel, the potential for chattering and skipping increases as the wheels load with shavings. With practice, you might get the trick of working a couple of passes, removing the grinding cartridge for rinsing, and finishing with a few more touch-up runs. The results just won’t be as good as they should be for this quality of blade.
What we needed to see here was a powered system based on fine diamond grit wheels or water-lubricated stones. Any craftsman appreciates some good help and either of those approaches would work in a pinch. What we got instead has a nice dust cover, and that’s what owners of Shun knives will use the most.
Although I don’t recommend any “automatic” sharpener for knives of this quality, the Global Shinkansen MinoSharp offers manual control, a water bath, and a clear shield that lets you see where you’re going wrong — and it’s designed for that critical 16 degree bevel.
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 Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
A blend of good ideas and disappointing realities, the Shun APO119 Electric Knife Sharpener seems more suited to cheap cutlery than the beautiful and expensive Damascus-type blades of Shun Cutlery. In fact, you’ll definitely want to practice on cheaper knives first because as with any old style grinder, there’s a learning curve involved.
