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.
Warthog Knife Sharpener, Japanese & European | V Sharp Professional Automatic for Kitchen Knives
1 min read
Usually any chef interested in the best edge possible turns to the old system of whetstone and honing steel, but with the Warthog V Sharp Professional Knife Sharpener you won’t need the mystical skills. Keep an eye on the V Sharp, though, because it may wind up on some executive’s desktop instead of the prep counter.
This is an “automatic” sharpener for people who want precision. If you just want something you can drag a blade through and toss in a drawer, get something else. You’ll need to watch the company’s video and follow the instructions carefully until you get the hang of it, but you’ll like the results. Precise settings adjust the Warthog to guide any style of kitchen knife blade, including old-school forged knives with 25 degree edges, modern Japanese knives with thin blades and 16 degree bevels, and even that in-between 20-degree edge many of us gradually install on our own.
The Warthog sharpener eliminates many of the problems that severely limit most pull-through sharpeners. With this one, you won’t immediately grind a notch in one of the sharpening rods, since the rods as well as the knife blade stay in constant movement within the spring-loaded frame. You’ll also be able to accurately sharpen curved edges and points, a trick that usually fails with kitchen disc hones. Different types of rods are available and shift out fairly quickly. For a finishing touch other sharpeners don’t provide, slip on the steel rod hones for the last few strokes and the best-cutting burnished edge.
If you like machines, the Warthog V Sharp could end up on display instead of in storage between uses. It’s just the kind of thing that catches a visitor’s eye, and you’ll have fun explaining how it works.
For a more compact but very functional kitchen sharpening system, see the AnySharp Knife Sharpener.
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 Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
Usually any chef interested in the best edge possible turns to the old system of whetstone and honing steel, but with the Warthog V Sharp Professional Knife Sharpener you won’t need the mystical skills. Keep an eye on the V Sharp, though, because it may wind up on some executive’s desktop instead of the prep counter.
