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 Yellowhorse Saddlehorn Pocketknife, Limited Collectible | Navajo Knife Art Includes Eagle Feather, Antique Bone Grizzly

59 sec read

Case Yellowhorse SaddlehornEverything’s a little different about the Yellowhorse series of Case collectible knives, but there’s enough familiar Case styling in them that you’ll find them comfortable instead of just artistic. Using the Case Saddlehorn knife as a basic pattern, David Yellowhorse created many one-of-a-kind knives as well as several limited edition runs.

Each knife of this type uses the Saddlehorn structure — 4-7/8-in. folded length with a heavy rear bolster and stronger clip and spey blades than in the smaller Trapper style. Some models feature two clip point blades instead of the spey and clip pair. David Yellowhorse, a famous Navajo jeweler and custom knife maker, added his own designs to bolsters and handle grips. Detailed nickel silver inlays and engraved designs portray important symbols of Native America.

The most expensive design, called Eagle Feather, uses a combination of black jet and orange spiny oyster shell inlaid with an eagle and eagle feather in sculpted nickel silver. At the other end of the scale, the Antique Bone Grizzly Saddlehorn knife uses handle slabs of black and yellow antiqued bone, engraved with the outline of a grizzly bear. Only two of the Eagle Feather knives were created, but the more affordable Antique Bone Grizzly belongs to a longer run of 500.

The Yellowhorse Saddlehorn knives include several small 25-knife limited editions with unusual blades — some of hand-hammered steel in the classic Case patterns, and others custom-made by David Yellowhorse from his own select high carbon steel.

Many collectors will find the knives to be good investments, but all the Yellowhorse knives are in short supply.

Try the SOG Tomcat Knife for a collectible in a truly modern design.

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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