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.
Wusthof Classic Fish Fillet Knife, Full Tang | Forged High Carbon Stainless Steel 7 Inch 4622
1 min read
At the end of the fishing day when you’re tired, it’s time to clean the fish. If you’d rather not struggle with poor tools, a good fillet knife like the Wusthof 4622 Classic 7-inch fillet knife makes the last chore of the day go quickly.
Forged from high carbon stainless steel, the Wusthof 4622 has a gracefully curved narrow blade laser-tested for accurate thickness and flexibility. Hardened to Rockwell 58 on the cutting edge, the fillet knife slips over the bone quickly for smooth cuts without ragged edges. If the blade needs a touch-up, just stroke it a few times with a honing steel to reset the edge.
At the grip end, even when the work gets slippery, you’ll have no problems holding on. Two perfectly fitted polymer handle slabs put extra leverage where you need it, permanently mounted to the knife’s full tang with stainless steel rivets. To give the knife extra strength and provide more security for your fingers, the forged bolster blends smoothly into the blade, spreading out the stress point where many stamped steel blades most often fail.
Designed for work in the kitchen as well as in the out-of-doors, the Wusthof 4622 handles all types of meat, poultry, and fish. The 4622 can be purchased without a sheath if you’d prefer to leave it at home, but the optional leather sheath fits it temporarily to either the belt or the tackle box for camping trips and work at the cleaning station. If you take this good knife fishing, you’ll definitely want the sheath. It’s too good a knife to bang around.
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...
At the end of the fishing day when you’re tired, it’s time to clean the fish. If you’d rather not struggle with poor tools, a good fillet knife like the Wusthof 4622 Classic 7-inch fillet knife makes the last chore of the day go quickly.
