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.
Global Starter Prep Kitchen Knife Set | Chef’s, Utility & Paring Cutlery, Full Tang 3 Piece
1 min read
Global’s 3-Piece Knife Starter Set introduces chefs to three different handle styles and three great knives in this very popular and efficient all-stainless-steel design. Although it’s just a start, these three knives cover a lot of kitchen territory. You could get by with three, but you’ll probably want more.
Both the 5-1/4-inch utility knife and 3-1/2-inch paring knife come from the GS series, but the paring knife has a slightly different handle pattern customized for finer work. The main knife here — Global’s G3 Chef’s knife with 8-inch blade — comes from the “basic” series, which began Global’s product line in 1985. With a more traditionally-shaped handle than the dovetail style (which most people now associate with Global), the G3 Chef’s knife still cuts with that perfect trademark balance. Using standards once applied to fine katanas, Global’s seamless all-stainless-steel knives are individually weighted by adding just the right amount of sand to the hollow handles. After this hand operation, the handles are permanently sealed. Every knife in Global’s lineup receives that extra level of attention. All show the same distinctive dimpled stainless steel grip patterns — easy to hold and perfectly seamless.
Thin blades of Cromova stainless steel glide through the work easily but are intended for slicing, not for heavy chopping. With edges hardened to Rockwell 56 to 58, the knives stay sharp longer than many other types of high carbon stainless steel but do require special sharpening gear. An edge angle between 15 and 20 degrees is recommended, and Global discourages the use of ordinary sharpening steels. Use flat stones or ceramic hones instead.
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.
The Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
Global’s 3-Piece Knife Starter Set introduces chefs to three different handle styles and three great knives in this very popular and efficient all-stainless-steel design. Although it’s just a start, these three knives cover a lot of kitchen territory. You could get by with three, but you’ll probably want more.
