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.



Case Tiny Trapper Pocket Knife | Lightweight Damascus Steel w/ Stag Handle 6093

1 min read

Case Tiny Trapper Pocket Knife The Case 6093 Tiny Trapper condenses all the good qualities of a versatile outdoorsman’s pocket knife into a package small enough for inconspicuous daily carrying. Damascus steel and the strength of one of W.R. Case’s best knife designs make even the Tiny Trapper good enough to trust.

At just 2-3/8 inches long when folded, the Tiny Trapper weighs only one ounce. That’s light enough to compete with ultralight emergency knives built to much lower standards. Strong nickel silver bolsters brace both ends of the knife handle, and panels of natural India stag horn provide a durable gripping surface. The knife uses slip-joint construction, holding blades securely in both open and closed positions through steel spring-bar tension. Neither blade locks when open, so be cautious when applying piercing pressure — pressing on the back of the blade closes the knife.

Trapper knives contain two blades which pivot from the smaller end of the handle. Originally designed for hunters and trappers, the knife offers clip point and spey point blades of equal size. The clip point pierces and carves, while the spey point is best at shallow cuts and controlled slicing. The raindrop Damascus high carbon steel blades of the Tiny Trapper were created from steel stock specially forged at Devin Thomas Damascus. Thomas developed a total of 15 unique damascus patterns, only one of which was chosen for Case knives. The raindrop pattern results from controlled hammer blows on the hot steel, distorting the layered metal in precise geometric designs.

If you need a larger knife, the Case Stag Trapperlock adds lockback safety to this very popular outdoorsman’s knife.

Find this Case Tiny Trapper:

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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