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.


Indian War Club by Cold Steel | American History Weapon Replica, Special Projects Polypropylene

1 min read

Indian War Club by Cold Steel The Cold Steel Special Projects Indian War Club uses solid polypropylene to reproduce one of the most effective weapons on the American frontier. Similar war clubs caused mayhem on the battlefields of North and South America long before iron and steel trade axes took over the local market. Cold Steel’s president, Lynn Thompson, took an interest in the war club after watching “Last of the Mohicans” and partnered with custom weapon smith Rich McDonald to make this impressive martial club available in an improved modern design.

Traditional ball-headed war clubs depended on natural root burls and unusual limb shapes for their durable form. Built like the Irish shillelagh, the continuous wood grain and the lethal wood ball of this American club delivered an irresistible smashing blow. American hardwoods like hornbeam yielded the stock for these clubs, but for modern production, Cold Steel found polypropylene more consistent in quality and more readily available. The Cold Steel version of the ball-headed club does include a wood-grain texture and with some added artwork takes on the look of more traditional designs.

In other days, warriors studded the working end of this heavy club with a bit of antler or stone to increase and focus the impact damage. Cold Steel includes a fitted peg of high carbon steel, but owners can remove it for practice swings on targets. The two-foot club weighs a hefty 27.6 ounces with a ball diameter of 3-1/4 inches. Cold Steel claims their version of this ancient weapon won’t rot, crack, warp, splinter, swell, shrink, mildew, or fade in color.

See the Cold Steel War Hammer for another modern twist on an ancient battlefield design.

Find this Indian War Club:

Find this club on eBay:

[phpbay]Indian War Club, 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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