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 SOG FS01-N Fusion Spirit Knife combines belt knife and spearhead with options for attaching a full length shaft. Wear it on the belt in the knife-style nylon sheath and use the Spirit as you would any stout belt knife. If you need a long weapon, you have the option of mounting the threaded spearhead on any suitable rod or sapling, securing it with the handy set screw. The spearhead threads onto the short reinforced nylon handle or accepts a standard push broom handle or extension pole.
Seriously, this is a pretty good idea — a spear head that doubles as a belt knife but gives you the essentials of a real spear when you do need it. The 4.25-inch black oxide coated 420 stainless steel spear head actually could be a sturdy self defense or survival item if properly mounted to a good shaft. If you’ve ever actually tried to make a spear, or even make a broom, you’ll know it isn’t quite that simple. Broom handles are also pretty fragile.
My suggestion to owners of the SOG Spirit is to fit the spear head to a straight-grained ash shaft at home where you have access to good tools and plenty of time to do the job well. Cover the end of the shaft with a PVC cap and carry the spear shaft as a hiking staff. Keep the SOG Spirit on your belt until you need a spear. Don’t expect a mop handle or tree branch to last long or work well. If you go that route, you could lose the Spirit Fusion Knife in the first creek you cross.
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 SOG FS01-N Fusion Spirit Knife combines belt knife and spearhead with options for attaching a full length shaft. Wear it on the belt in the knife-style nylon sheath and use the Spirit as you would any stout belt knife. If you need a long weapon, you have the option of mounting the threaded spearhead on any suitable rod or sapling, securing it with the handy set screw. The spearhead threads onto the short reinforced nylon handle or accepts a standard push broom handle or extension pole.
