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.



Boker Infinity Ceramic Knife, Folding Pocket Clip | Drop Point Locking Collectible B-89

1 min read

Boker Infinity Ceramic Knife, FoldingIn spite of all the good features in this precisely built folding clip knife from Boker of Germany, the Boker Infinity is still a collector’s piece. Buy it for the ceramic blade and the bragging rights to one of the sharpest but most limited pocket knives available today.

The Boker Infinity packs a 3.38-inch ceramic drop point blade into a lightweight Zytel handle with Kraton inserts for an improved grip. Open it one-handed with the thumb stud at the base of the dark, non-reflective blade. The three-ounce knife unfolds to eight inches in overall length with a simple but secure liner lock to fix the blade in open position. Everything about the Infinity holds up to the high standards expected of this well-known company.

The only real problems with the Infinity are practical issues. Ceramic blades hold an edge much longer than ordinary steel blades and take a finer cutting edge than most grades of cutlery steel. The drawback is that ceramic blades break. Boker even refers to them as brittle in the product warranty. More common in the kitchen today than in the pocket, these knives are great at slicing but don’t hold up to most of the ordinary tasks owners expect of utility blades. Side pressure could snap the blade, piercing could break the point, carving wood could shatter the cutting edge, and nicking bone could knock out chips. Problems are likely enough that Boker does not guarantee the blade against breakage or other damage even in normal use.

Sharpening is not something owners can do themselves. Boker recommends sending the knife to Ross Cutlery in Los Angeles for reworking, and the cost isn’t cheap. Since you can’t actually use the knife for much, the edge shouldn’t need sharpening for a very long time.

Find this Boker Infinity Knife:

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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