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 Rajah III Gurkha Folding Clip Replica | Kukri Knife by Andrew Demko w/ Grivory Handle

1 min read

Cold Steel Rajah III Gurkha FoldingThe favorite field and military knife of Nepal’s Gurkha regiments inspired the Rajah III from Cold Steel. Recreating the broad and heavy blade of a kukri knife in a folding clip knife style is right in line with Cold Steel’s philosophy.

The Rajah III is the smallest of the gurkha knives Cold Steel produces. All knives in the Rajah series were designed by Andrew Demko and are built to have both the feel and the function of the traditional kukri. Even though the cutting edge is just 3.5 inches long and the knife weighs only 4.4 ounces, the forward-weighted blade and the machete-style handle let the Rajah III swing and chop as well as thrust. You’ll find that the S-curve of the knife’s plain edge grabs and slices rope and harness straps quickly by drawing the edge of the knife deeper into the cut.

Cold Steel uses AUS8 high carbon stainless steel in the knife blade along with solid steel liners and a handle of Grivory. This synthetic material often substitutes for metal parts in the automotive industry and resists heat and chemical action. Other technical improvements include one-handed opening via a flat thumb plate at the base of the blade. The knife opens either right or left-handed. Catching the thumb plate on the lip of your pocket also swings the blade open. Cold Steel improved the locking mechanism of this lockback knife, so the catch no longer depends on perfectly matching bearing surfaces. The new Tri-Ad lock seats against a stronger steel locking pin instead.

The 8-3/8-inch-long Rajah III folds into a pocket-sized, 4-7/8-inch handle with mountings for the stainless steel pocket clip on either side. Mount the clip for either right-hand or left-hand carry.

See the Gerber Applegate Fairbairn folder for a pocket clip knife in the British style.

Find this Cold Steel Rajah III:

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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