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.



Cold Steel Perfect Balance Throwing Knife | Professional or Practice Thrower w/ Bowie Blade

1 min read

Cold Steel Perfect Balance ThrowingHere’s a throwing knife that doesn’t skimp on quality. Cold Steel’s Perfect Balance Thrower has enough weight for a satisfying hit and construction tough enough to withstand the battering any throwing knife takes.

One thing you don’t want to do with most knives, whether they’re fixed blades or folders, is use them for throwing practice. Anything breakable on the knife quickly breaks. That ranges from part of the blade to all of the blade to any part of the handle. Unless you’re an expert and land the knife on point every time, you’re just causing problems.

Throwing knives often compensate for this unavoidable abuse with light weight and cheap steel. Low temper allows throwing knives to bend rather than break, but the result feels and cuts like a toy knife. Cold Steel went the other direction with the Perfect Balance Thrower, adding weight in the form of tempered high carbon 1055 steel. The steel stock in this fixed blade is exceptional thick — the 13-1/2-inch-long knife weighs almost a pound. The point of balance is perfectly centered for proper rotation in the throw, and the point of the knife is shaped to hold up to the stresses of impacts.

Slender handle scales of strong composite give the knife just a little more than bare steel for a grip. Scales might be damaged by bad throws, but the flathead screw mountings make them easily replaceable by owners. Since the scales stop short of the knife’s heel, there’s some protection from reversed impacts.

The Perfect Balance Thrower could be a good survival Bowie if you like knives that work like an axe, but the knife stock is too thick for delicate cutting jobs. Think of it as a chopper, not a skinner. Cold Steel makes a belt sheath for the Perfect Balance Thrower, but the sheath doesn’t come with the knife.

See the Boker Competition Throwing Knife for a professional version of the throwing dagger.

Find this Cold Steel Perfect Balance Thrower:

 

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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