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.
With a handle sized for a better grip and an even lighter build than the original pocket-sized Piranta, the Piranta-Z comes closer to the hunting and skinning knife design we find familiar. You’ll find all the unique features that made the Piranta popular, but in a knife that’s a little bit better than before.
The original Piranta seemed a little small for field-dressing deer, and even though many of us could butcher a whitetail with a pocket knife, we probably wouldn’t make that our first choice of tools. With the Havalon Piranta-Z, you’ll get a razor-sharp 2-3/4-inch high carbon stainless steel knife blade mounted on a rugged Zytel and stainless steel handle frame. With an open length of 7-3/4 inches and another inch of handle grip compared to the Piranta, the Piranta-Z feels like it can handle a larger task. Trading stainless steel handle components for military Zytel allowed the upgrade without adding weight, and the result is a skinning and caping knife that weighs under three ounces.
Havalon designs knives intended for slicing, not prying or gouging. The first design worked well enough, but the Piranta-Z’s grip works better in large hands and cold wet conditions. Rubberized inserts in the grip add comfort and enough friction for a solid hold. The great advantage of the Piranta-Z is the ease with which the blade switches out. As with the Piranta, slip off the old blade and slip on a new one in seconds for a fresh cutting edge without the burden of a whetstone. The purchase includes twelve spare blades.
The Piranta-Z offers a strong frame lock, easy one-handed opening with a steel thumb tab, and a stainless steel pocket clip. Add a lanyard for a little extra security in use.
If you like the concept of endless fresh cutting edges and you prefer fishing, try the Havalon Baracuta.
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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With a handle sized for a better grip and an even lighter build than the original pocket-sized Piranta, the Piranta-Z comes closer to the hunting and skinning knife design we find familiar. You’ll find all the unique features that made the Piranta popular, but in a knife that’s a little bit better than before.
