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.



Havalon Baracuta-Edge Fillet Knife | Fishing Flexible Lockback Blade, Zytel Handle

1 min read

Havalon Baracuta-Edge Fillet Knife The Havalon Baracuta-Edge is a great idea and a good knife, but five inches of replaceable high carbon stainless steel blade comes at a higher cost than the smaller Havalon Piranta system. You might want to keep that whetstone handy and recycle blades instead of throwing them out.

The Havalon concept of quick-fix stainless steel cutting edges and dependable knife action works well in this mid-sized fillet knife. Since fillet knives need to flex during the cut, the thin steel contributes to filleting action, but you may find this knife a fascinating compromise instead of a perfect solution. The keyed shank doesn’t flex and takes up almost the half the blade length, so you’re really only working with about 2-1/2 inches of flexible blade. Probably you won’t mind, because the convenience of this knife makes up for that minor problem.

An overall length of 11 inches includes a generous six inches of Zytel handle with rubber inserts for comfortable work and a secure hold. The lockback knife opens with one-hand, using a steel tab on the base of the blade shank. The blade locks open with a strong frame lock mechanism. Cleaning is always an issue with folding hunting and fishing knives, but the Baracuta-Edge design leaves the back of the handle open for better access to the blade liners. A long stainless steel pocket clip substitutes for a sheath.

The purchase includes five replacement blades of razor-sharp surgical steel. Each blade comes in a protective pouch that prevents damage to the edge in storage but won’t prevent painless accidents if you decide to carry spares in a pants pocket.

For a good fillet knife in a more flexible traditional pattern, see the Queen Cutlery Fillet 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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