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.
Swamp Rat Hairy Carry Knife Works | Tactical Fixed Blade Full Tang Drop Point, by Jerry Busse
1 min read
The Swamp Rat Knife Works Hairy Carry was designed as a high performance fixed blade in a size matched to everyday uses. Made to wear on the belt, this full tang knife features the rugged design details of Jerry Busse’s tactical knives.
The Hairy Carry’s 154CM high carbon stainless steel resists corrosion and provides a long-lasting edge. A blade thickness of .170 inch cuts weight, but the convex grind makes the knife stronger than the usual hollow ground edge. Blade length of 3-1/2 inches matches that of many pocket knives, but a full-sized grip brings the overall length to 8-1/4 inches. That extra grip allows even large hands to apply full power to a cutting stroke.
A slight drop point makes the knife usable for piercing but provides a full belly that makes this small blade an excellent slicer. As a utility knife for handymen or a lightweight and rugged field knife for hunters or fishermen, the Hairy Carry performs well. Handle slabs of G10 offer a secure grip in all sorts of weather, resist chemical damage and remain stable over a wide range of temperatures. The Hairy Carry’s grip has rounded edges instead of squared corners and won’t dig into the palms if the job lasts more than a few minutes.
The simple construction of this knife only adds to its toughness. The handle scales join to the full width tang with three steel tube rivets and exactly follow the profile of the knife blank. The grip includes a slightly dropped bolster and shallow finger choil for better knife control, plus a lanyard hole for adding a wrist loop.
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.
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The Swamp Rat Knife Works Hairy Carry was designed as a high performance fixed blade in a size matched to everyday uses. Made to wear on the belt, this full tang knife features the rugged design details of Jerry Busse’s tactical knives.
