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 Meat Cleaver Kitchen Knife, Full Tang | Solingen Stainless Steel Gourmet 8 Inch
58 sec read
The Gourmet eight-inch cleaver from Wusthof of Solingen, Germany, may be finding a place in more kitchens now that chefs are looking for ways to reduce costs. If you’re willing to buy larger cuts and do your own chopping, it’s still possible to save a little money, but you’ll need a good cleaver.
Hunters will also be interested in this good knife, because field dressing larger game only accounts for part of the work. The precision work happens at home with specialized butcher knives. The Wusthof Gourmet Cleaver is the traditional answer to a butcher’s chores, with a thick laser-cut blade and a strong cutting edge that splits even the heaviest bones. Use it to open up soup bones for simmering beef stock or to quickly quarter whole poultry.
Many cleavers are still forged in old patterns with heavy bolsters. The Gourmet from Wusthof uses a simpler and lighter design but doesn’t skimp on strength. The knife blank is cut from steel stock four millimeters thick with a full tang handle. Slabs of black composite triple-riveted to the tang create a durable and comfortable grip without adding much more weight to an already hefty knife. While built for the heaviest jobs, this cleaver will come in handy for many common chores like tenderizing meat or dividing blocks of still frozen food. It’s a good backup blade for the precision cutlery of today that can’t withstand the roughest work.
Wusthof’s no-stain high carbon steel requires only ordinary care. Hand washing and drying will preserve the flawless high polish of this fine knife.
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...
The Gourmet eight-inch cleaver from Wusthof of Solingen, Germany, may be finding a place in more kitchens now that chefs are looking for ways to reduce costs. If you’re willing to buy larger cuts and do your own chopping, it’s still possible to save a little money, but you’ll need a good cleaver.
