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.
Swiss Army Cadet Pocket Knife by Victorinox | Stainless Steel w/ Silver Alox Handle, Key Ring
1 min read
Only a little more than half as thick as the same knife built with stainless steel liners and cellidor handle slabs, the Silver Alox version of the Swiss Army Cadet carries the same set of useful blades. If you need a knife that’s practical for the office or for class, the Cadet provides appropriate functions and the traditional multi-purpose cutter.
The 3-1/4-inch-long Silver Alox Cadet saves on weight and space by combining the function of liners and handle slabs. The silver alox ribbed panels serve both purposes and greatly streamline the package. The knife will ride in a pants pocket without the usual lumpy silhouette.
In addition to the high carbon stainless steel spear point blade, the Silver Alox Cadet knife holds separate bottle and can opener blades and a nail file. A notch on the bottle opener blade strips electrical insulation from small wires, and the blade’s tip works well as a flathead screwdriver for large screws. The tip of the can opener blade will handle the smaller ones. The Cadet’s key ring works equally well for holding the car keys or a lanyard. If you equip it with a lanyard, you’ll find it more easily in either pocket or purse.
One side panel of the Silver Cadet from Victorinox includes a polished engraving panel 1/4-inch by 3/4-inch long, in case you’d like to personalize the Cadet — a nice touch to complement a nice gift.
For a larger version of this excellent knife with a slightly different assortment of tools, see the Swiss Army Soldier — still the Swiss Army’s official pocketknife.
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.
Designed by Doug Ritter of “Equipped to Survive,” the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak earned positive reviews from survival instructor Cody Lundin and...
Multi-purpose gear for hikers, backpackers, and other outdoorsmen gets better every year. If you make the Buck 731 X-Tract LED Multi-Tool part of your...
Leatherman’s back with an even stronger version of the original Leatherman Super Tool. The Super Tool 300 Multi-tool offers the strongest pair of multi-tool...
Only a little more than half as thick as the same knife built with stainless steel liners and cellidor handle slabs, the Silver Alox version of the Swiss Army Cadet carries the same set of useful blades. If you need a knife that’s practical for the office or for class, the Cadet provides appropriate functions and the traditional multi-purpose cutter.
