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.



Best Gerber Folding Knife w/ Gut Hook | Award Winner, Freeman Pear Wood 22-07171

1 min read

Best Gerber Folding Knife w/ Guthook The Gerber Freeman Folder drew considerable attention when first produced. Now that the Freeman Folder Gut Hook knife has been around a while, it may be an even better deal. In fact, at today’s more reasonable prices, it could be more tempting than it was when it won an International Knife Award in 2004.

The Freeman Folder with 3.63-inch gut hook blade offers extra precision and convenience when dressing out game, guiding the gullet of the hook through the abdominal wall without piercing organs and contaminating the meat. The high carbon stainless steel does require regular maintenance, and that gut hook will need some special care. If it’s not razor sharp, it’s more of a problem than a benefit. Making a matching honing slip a permanent part of your kit is a good idea.

In other respects, the Freeman is still a good medium skinner, but built from materials that aren’t quite top-of-the-line today. The blade quality is average, and the pear wood handle slabs are pretty but not as durable as either synthetics or exotic hardwoods. The long lanyard slot at the base of the handle drew compliments in 2004 but adds little practical value. The slot also weakens the handle base if, like me, you tend to use a knife for bashing even when it isn’t recommended.

The 4.48-inch (folded) knife rides in a ballistic nylon sheath instead of hanging on by a pocket clip, which is a much better approach to knife retention if you spend much time in the woods. Since the spine of the knife is open, the Freeman cleans up well — so if butchering gets messy, you’ll have a chance to put things right. Otherwise, one-handed opening quickly becomes a two-handed job.

The Gerber Freeman Gut Hook has plenty of good features and a few forgivable quirks.

Find this Gerber Freeman Folder:

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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