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.
Simply Calphalon Kitchen Knife & Shears Set of 3 | Forged Granton Santoku & Paring Cutlery
58 sec read
From Simply Calphalon, this three-piece cutlery set offers two excellent knives and a pair of kitchen shears that’s handy but a little disappointing. Since there’s no way to disassemble the shears, cross-contamination could be a problem.
The forged six-inch santoku and 4-1/2-inch paring knife both feature classic polymer slab handles triple-riveted to the knives’ full tangs. Handles are comfortable and withstand extremes of moisture and temperature without distortion. The gap-free construction prevents buildup of food residue between the grip and tang and makes cleanup a simple task. Like most other stain-free cutlery today, hand washing is recommended since running this steel through a dishwasher could blemish the blades. A slight reduction in corrosion resistance is balanced by a much longer-lasting cutting edge.
These high carbon stain-free steel blades are taper-ground for efficient cutting, and the santoku features friction-reducing granton hollows above the cutting edge. The granton prevents most foods from stacking up on the blade, and when used to slice meat, the knife’s hollows collect lubricating juices for thin slicing without tearing. The paring knife may be a little large for some prepping chores, but the extra length will come in handy in many other ways — as a boning knife, utility, or sandwich blade, the slim blade and forged stainless steel bolster will serve well.
The kitchen shears double as nutcrackers and bottle openers but shouldn’t be used for preparing meat, since they don’t come apart for cleaning.
Supplement this good trio with the Chef’s Choice Poultry Shears — made to disassemble, and specifically designed for cutting meat.
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...
From Simply Calphalon, this three-piece cutlery set offers two excellent knives and a pair of kitchen shears that’s handy but a little disappointing. Since there’s no way to disassemble the shears, cross-contamination could be a problem.
