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.


Dual Fantasy Dragon Dagger Set | Detailed Crescent Sword w/ Table Display Stand

57 sec read

Dual Fantasy Dragon Dagger Set In a perfect size for desktop display, these Dragon Dagger Swords should please any gaming fan looking for real-world loot. Although the design looks Klingon, the inspiration for modern crescent daggers actually came from real weapons used in Chinese martial arts.

These two very detailed fantasy daggers rest on a compact wooden stand and include removable plastic safety covers for the crescent blades’ edges. Eleven-inch-long arcs of 440 stainless steel form the cutting blades, which come sharp enough for display but not for true slashing. The grip length of 3.5 inches fits most hands, and imitation suede wrapped over the cast metal dragon handles offers a secure hold. The hand grips represent twin dragon heads and show considerable detail including scales, barbs, and fangs as well as ruby-red glass eyes.

Modern fantasy weapons like the Dual Dragon Daggers and the Klingon Bat’leth resemble genuine weapons from an old Chinese martial art called Baguaquan. Dual daggers similar to the dragon knives were formed from overlapping crescents of steel, including forward-facing horns and slashing edges. The “deer antler” knives could hook an enemy weapon with the reversed crescent and attack with the arc that faced forward. Old weapons of this kind inspired many of the fantasy swords wielded by today’s video gamers. Although they’re not entirely impractical, using them well depends on skills few people actually acquire today.

See the Twin Tiger Claw Hooks for another more realistic example of ancient Chinese dual weaponry.

Find this Dual Fantasy Dragon Dagger Set:

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[phpbay]Dual Fantasy Dragon Dagger, 2[/phpbay]

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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