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.
W. R. Case Stockman Folding Pocket Knife 128 | Clip, Spey & Sheepsfoot Blade w/ Amber Bone Handle
1 min read
One of the most popular pocket knives among yesterday’s ranchers and farmers is also a favorite of professionals in today’s urban trades. Three useful blade styles in a convenient pocket folding knife handle nearly every emergency. All you need is a little imagination and a Case knife to pull you through.
The standard blades on the Case Stockman include a spey blade with a forward curve designed for animal surgery — though its original use was usually the castration of cattle, it serves many other purposes which favor slicing over piercing. The straight edge sheepsfoot blade, short and stout, had more social distinction since it was intended for cutting chewable sections from twisted tobacco plugs. The Stockman’s main blade, the clip knife, handles all sorts of general purpose work from carving and whittling to prying rocks from horse’s hooves.
While some people today do not have those exact uses in mind, the range of applications of the Case Stockman’s blade assortment is fairly universal. Many people caught in tricky situations have figured out solutions with less, but it always helps to be better prepared than the merely average person.
The handle of the modern medium Stockman, 3-7/8 inches long when folded, encloses a high carbon stainless steel main blade three inches long. Each of the three blades is manufactured from the same SS alloy chosen for its unusual strength, corrosion resistance, and ability to hold a sharp edge. Handle slabs are natural bone, harvested from range-fed Zebu cattle in Brazil — only the shin bones of this tough breed have the strength and density required by Case knives. The Stockman is collectible, practical, and built to last.
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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One of the most popular pocket knives among yesterday’s ranchers and farmers is also a favorite of professionals in today’s urban trades. Three useful blade styles in a convenient pocket folding knife handle nearly every emergency. All you need is a little imagination and a Case knife to pull you through.
