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 Kitchen Knife Starter Set | Culinar 3 Piece Forged Full Tang | Solingen Cutlery
1 min read
Wusthof’s Culinar knives offer drop forged Solingen steel from tip to tang, with a lighter build than most forged designs and a modernistic stainless steel handle design. This set of three good knives covers most kitchen tasks well, handling nearly everything but heavy chopping. Though chefs will need special purpose knives to round out the collection, the Culinar starter set is both a good basic selection and a quality addition to an already well-equipped kitchen.
One of the subtle advantages to Wusthof’s best blades is the laser controlled tapered grind. Thickness of the blades tapers both from spine to edge and from bolster to tip, reducing weight and friction. The smooth bevel of the plain edge slips through food with very little drag. Sharpening involves a few strokes on a honing steel. The high carbon stainless steel holds an edge well but isn’t tempered hard enough to chip. This makes the knives resistant to damage and easy to maintain without fancy sharpening gear.
The chef’s knife handles most tasks all by itself, useful for slicing, carving, chopping and mincing, and strong enough to divide hard squash and even frozen food. The sleek paring knife fits the hand securely, even if you aren’t accustomed to solid steel handles. The utility knife will likely be the least used, but only because the other two work so well. Remember, it’s available when doing sandwich prep, boning poultry, and dividing meat. Six-inch plain edge blades come in handy.
Culinar knives clean up easily by hand. The stain-free high carbon steel build is dishwasher safe, but both finish and edge will degrade if run through a machine.
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...
Wusthof’s Culinar knives offer drop forged Solingen steel from tip to tang, with a lighter build than most forged designs and a modernistic stainless steel handle design. This set of three good knives covers most kitchen tasks well, handling nearly everything but heavy chopping. Though chefs will need special purpose knives to round out the collection, the Culinar starter set is both a good basic selection and a quality addition to an already well-equipped kitchen.
