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.



DOVO Dovolanza Nail Scissors Curved | Professional Manicure & Pedicure Shears, Solingen Stainless Steel

56 sec read

DOVO Dovolanza Nail Scissors Curved The strong jaws of the Dovolanza Curved Nail Scissors accurately trim either fingernails or toenails and include many construction features designed specifically for the manicurist or pedicurist.

Consider the Dovolanza Curved Nail Scissors to be of the same general quality as good surgical tools, built to cut cleanly without painful mishaps. Craftsmen at DOVO of Solingen, Germany put these scissors through as many as 120 individual hand processes to guarantee the best quality and functionality. The wide steel jaws of this pair cut without danger of flexing or twisting, eliminating any chance of a ragged cut because of mismatched edges. The curved blades naturally follow the correct shape of the nail.

To meet DOVO’s standards, the edges of both jaws must meet exactly for the full length of the scissor action with no gap large enough to pass light between the blades. Correctly polished, the finished jaws do not adhere to nail debris. Clean-cut pieces of nail simply fall away, leaving the scissors ready for the next exacting cut. DOVO backs up the scissors with a lifetime warranty. Use them only for the purpose intended in order to keep the scissors in perfect condition.

DOVO began producing straight razors and other personal grooming tools more than a hundred years ago and still hot-forges most of the company’s products. Less than a hundred employees work at the Solingen factory and produce only about 1,500 scissors and shears daily, along with an even smaller volume of razors, nippers, and other specialty tools.

See the Black Beauty Hairdressing Shear for a professional quality hair care shear from DOVO.

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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