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.
Yoshikin Global Japanese Santoku | 7 Inch Stainless Steel Slicing Knife
55 sec read
Global’s 7-inch Santoku brings modern one-piece forged design to an old Japanese pattern, and is closer in appearance to the original santoku knives than the more familiar hollow ground versions most of us now own. Global knives are the favorites of many top chefs including Anthony Bourdain, and depend on qualities like edge retention, balance, and light weight for their popularity.
The thin, hard, ice-tempered stainless steel blade ground with an acute Japanese style bevel arrives with an edge so sharp it slices through food nearly effortlessly. This knife shaves thin slices of meat, fish, and poultry as easily as it slices zucchini and is strong enough for light chopping. The high temper of the blade makes it vulnerable to twisting, bending, and chipping, so don’t use it for coarse tasks like prying apart joints of meat, and be careful of bones and frozen food. This knife is made for accurate and fast slicing, and does that work amazingly well.
The distinctive dimpled stainless steel handle has a dovetail shape that is surprisingly comfortable and ergonomic. Each knife is individually balanced. Light and nimble in the hand, the Global patterns lessen fatigue and reduce repetitive stress problems.
Since these knives are hand-honed by expert craftsmen before leaving the factory, sharpening at home should only be done on approved flat stones and not with sharpening steels. The knives should also be kept out of dishwashers and need a quick hand washing and drying before storage.
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...
Global’s 7-inch Santoku brings modern one-piece forged design to an old Japanese pattern, and is closer in appearance to the original santoku knives than the more familiar hollow ground versions most of us now own. Global knives are the favorites of many top chefs including Anthony Bourdain, and depend on qualities like edge retention, balance, and light weight for their popularity.
