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.
Al Mar Engraved Hawk Folding Knife | Cocobolo Wood Handle Pocketknife
56 sec read
The Al Mar Engraved Hawk with Cocobolo wood handles presents a new version of the very old Barlow design. Folding knives with tear drop handles and wide bolsters originated in Sheffield, England, in the 1600’s. Popular in America since the revolution, the usual company trademark is blade style. Al Mar chooses one that perfectly matches the curve of the handle — the arc of the lockback extends through the tip of the spear point blade. The look is very balanced and efficient.
The Hawk, a mid-sized folder with a closed length of 3-1/4 inches, is big enough to be a practical pocket knife. The 2.5-inch blade balances well with the handle, long enough to be functional and strong enough for leverage. Al Mar describes the flat ground blade of AUS 8 high carbon stainless steel as rust resistant — the slight reduction in corrosion resistance means an increased ability to hold a good edge. Since the Hawk is sharpened with a simple double bevel at the factory, many owners will immediately want to improve on that. Be careful when sharpening if you intend to retain the logo unscathed.
This beautiful and well-made knife sports complex engraving on the stainless steel bolster, in contrast with the plain riveted cocobolo hardwood handle slabs. Heavy use could damage the engraving, but a scratch here and there won’t damage anything truly important. A small but handy practical touch is the lanyard hole — pass a wrist loop through it if you plan to take the Hawk fishing.
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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The Al Mar Engraved Hawk with Cocobolo wood handles presents a new version of the very old Barlow design. Folding knives with tear drop handles and wide bolsters originated in Sheffield, England, in the 1600’s. Popular in America since the revolution, the usual company trademark is blade style. Al Mar chooses one that perfectly matches the curve of the handle — the arc of the lockback extends through the tip of the spear point blade. The look is very balanced and efficient.
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