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 Classic Pocket Knife w/ LED Flashlight Gift Set | Victorinox Plain Edge Blade Multitool, Red Rubber
1 min read
Anywhere you travel, you stand a good chance of needing a pocket knife, a flashlight, or both. The Classic set from Victorinox Swiss Army provides both, plus several other good tools most of us would otherwise leave behind.
Swiss Army’s Classic knife may be only 2-1/4 inches long when folded, but this red-handled high carbon stainless steel tool set packs a small and very serviceable plain-edged, spear point knife blade. Not only that, there’s a file good enough for fingernails, or a little emergency metal working, and a pair of small shears. I prefer the blade for most things, but the shears have come in handy for tidying up smaller medical emergencies like blisters or torn finger and toe nails. The tiny pair of tweezers in one of the handle slots has pulled out many thorns and splinters, and the plastic toothpick is surprisingly durable and useful. The Classic’s small size makes it acceptable in many places where my favorite Buck 101 would raise eyebrows.
The companion piece is one of Victorinox’s new LED emergency flashlights. This lightweight model runs for more than 3 -1/2 hours on two AAA batteries and beams a light ten times brighter than the old incandescent bulb lamps. The light illuminates objects in detail up to 125 feet away, and if you need an emergency beacon, the light is easily visible as far as a mile and a half in good viewing conditions. The red rubber coating on the lamp’s case gives you a solid grip you won’t lose in the dark and the cold. The set of lamp and knife comes in a pre-packaged gift tin.
If you don’t need the flashlight, the Swiss Army Classic pocket knife is a great choice for countryside or city and is available separately.
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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Anywhere you travel, you stand a good chance of needing a pocket knife, a flashlight, or both. The Classic set from Victorinox Swiss Army provides both, plus several other good tools most of us would otherwise leave behind.
