JT Hats
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 Ikon Paring Knife, Blackwood Grenadill Handle | Full Tang Kitchen Cutlery 3 1/2 Inch

1 min read

Wusthof Ikon Paring Knife, BlackwoodThe Wusthof Ikon Blackwood Paring Knife shows definite improvements compared to Wusthof’s older styles, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the steel.

This full tang knife with forged bolsters at the blade base and the butt of the handle makes an already strong design even stronger. Perfectly fitted handle slabs of African blackwood or Grenadill fill out the grip with a smooth polished surface that works by shape rather than traction. A slight finger choil behind the bolster adds even more grip security. Wusthof has claimed ergonomic design ever since the word became popular, but the Wusthof Classic handles never changed. The Ikon series handles are genuinely different and won’t press rounded corners into your hands — if you work for hours with knives, instead of moments, you’ll appreciate the improvement.

The riveted Grenadill handle really is beautiful, made from a wood so dense that it will hardly be affected by moisture or abrasion. With such an ample handle and only a 3-1/2-inch-long paring blade, there’s really not much to say about balance — weight is nearly all in the grip. Most of the paring work I do is hand-held, not on the cutting board, so the extra control suits me just fine. If you find the knife too short for mincing and chopping, move on to a different knife.

The quality of the steel matches the blades of the Classic series. Made from X50CrMoV15 high carbon stainless steel, the taper-ground edge will turn rather than chip when pressed against hard bone. With this amount of temper, the knife is easily maintained with a honing steel, and more serious problems can be easily corrected with whetstones. Unlike Wusthof’s older styles, the Ikon Blackwood Paring Knife’s front bolster does not extend to the cutting edge. That makes the working edge of the knife more accessible for use and for sharpening.

Find this Wusthof Ikon Paring Knife:

JT Hats
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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