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.
Chicago Cutlery Metropolitan Knife Block Set 8 Piece | Award Winning Kitchen Knives
1 min read
This eight-piece Metropolitan Knife Block set from Chicago Cutlery offers no-nonsense practical quality. Rated as a “Best Buy” by Consumer Reports Magazine in 2007, this Metropolitan set includes only the most basic knives. Many owners will choose to expand it, but the knife set is still a good start for a small kitchen.
With only two large knives — the 7.5 inch chef’s knife and the 8-inch slicer — the Metropolitan still has the essentials for most work. The chef’s knife has the versatility to cover most kitchen tasks by itself, though it will be efficient at some and awkward for others. For carving roasts, whole cooked poultry, and other meats, the slicing blade provides a professionally taper-ground slender cutting edge suited to serving as well as prep. The block set does not include a bread or pastry knife and also lacks a santoku for slicing vegetables. The utility knife provided could double for both sandwich prep and boning meat. Two paring knives raise the piece count without adding much ability. An eight-inch sharpening steel and a set of strong kitchen shears leave only one slot for expansion.
The quality is good, with stamped high carbon stainless steel blades fitted to polymer handle slabs in a full tang construction. Three rivets securely bond the knife tangs to the grips. The lifetime warranty covers many problems but not damage incurred by prying. The simple construction leaves the knives vulnerable to twisting stress which could loosen rivets and open gaps. Used properly, the set is still a good value. Edges stay sharp with the regular use of the honing steel and the set cleans up easily, though washing by hand is recommended over dishwasher cleaning.
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.
The Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
This eight-piece Metropolitan Knife Block set from Chicago Cutlery offers no-nonsense practical quality. Rated as a “Best Buy” by Consumer Reports Magazine in 2007, this Metropolitan set includes only the most basic knives. Many owners will choose to expand it, but the knife set is still a good start for a small kitchen.
