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.



CRKT Desert Big Dog Combat Knife, Tan Combo Edge | Special Forces Titanium by Kit Carson M21-14DSFG

1 min read

CRKT Desert Big Dog Combat Knife, TanKnife maker Kit Carson designed CRKT’s M21-14DSFG Desert Big Dog for Special Forces use in desert warfare. A blade coating of titanium nitride and handle scales of G-10 give the knife its desert brown hue. Beneath the sand-brown exterior, the knife is all metal with frame and liners of stainless steel and a blade of high carbon stainless 8Cr14MoV steel alloy. The G-10 scales add texture to the grip without adding much weight and also provide good insulation for the hands when the steel in the knife is too hot or too cold to handle.

The 3.875-inch spear-point blade includes two “Carson flippers” at the base. The flippers form a functional hilt when the blade opens and provide opening and closing leverage. Start the blade moving with the thumb studs, and finish the swing with the flipper. The Auto-Lawks mechanism automatically fixes the blade in a locked-open position — the knife can’t close until the Auto-Lawks is pulled back and the liner lock is pushed to the side. The unusual Veff Serration on the cutting edge is so good that it’s patented. The hook-style teeth grip anything that passes over them. Tough straps and cords won’t skip past it.

When open, this is a full-sized, 9-1/4-inch-long knife strong enough for prying as well as cutting. Folded, the knife is only five inches long and mounts to pockets or harnesses with four different positions of the stainless steel pocket clip. Mounting the knife tip-up in the pocket isn’t recommended, but the other options provide useful choices for both right- and left-handed users.

Skeletonizing the handle frame reduces the weight of this folder to only 5.5 ounces but leaves the knife open to dust and grit. Give the Big Dog a good cleaning regularly to keep it working properly.

See the CRM16-14SF for a dark tactical version of the Kit Carson folder with an aluminum handle frame.

Find this CRKT Desert Big Dog Knife:

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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