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.
Extrema Ratio Reventon Folder Knife | Survival Tactical Tanto | Lamborghini Limited Edition
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The Reventon Folder by the Italian tactical knife company Extrema Ratio will be a limited production run of only 2000 knives. The first go to the owners of Lamborghini’s Reventon sports cars — a limited edition of only 20 autos. Built as a survival knife for the high tech driver, the Reventon knife features a 4.5-inch tanto blade with thumb stud for one-handed opening. The tanto, capable of quick cutting of seat belts and harnesses as well as penetration of thin sheet metal, comes equipped with a built-in striker for smashing car windows.
While in comparison to the survival knives Extrema builds for military users, this is a stripped down version. The single-blade Reventon is built to the same high standards as the company’s tactical knives. N690 cobalt steel of Austrian make is laser cut from the raw blank, heat treated and coated with carbon nitrate to reduce glare and increase corrosion resistance. The final sharpening is a hand process. No sheath is provided since the Reventon was designed as a backup tool for autos — the knife stores away in its own dark metal case.
A handle of anti-corroding aluminum gives a folded length of just over six inches — a bit too much for the average pocket. The strength of the build makes this a reasonably heavy knife at 1.15 pounds. Breaking a window should be no problem with this in your grip. A safety lock prevents an accidental release of the blade lock lever, increasing the quality of this already well-made knife.
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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The Reventon Folder by the Italian tactical knife company Extrema Ratio will be a limited production run of only 2000 knives. The first go to the owners of Lamborghini’s Reventon sports cars — a limited edition of only 20 autos. Built as a survival knife for the high tech driver, the Reventon knife features a 4.5-inch tanto blade with thumb stud for one-handed opening. The tanto, capable of quick cutting of seat belts and harnesses as well as penetration of thin sheet metal, comes equipped with a built-in striker for smashing car windows.
