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.
Ka-Bar Baconmaker Adventure Recurve Knife Blade | Boar Hunter Magazine Steve Johnson 2-5601-1
1 min read
One of three Adventure series knives released by Ka-Bar in 2010, the Ka-Bar Adventure Baconmaker satisfies anybody who likes a knife with great style but treats their tools a little rough. This pigsticker can take it.
Adventure series knives developed from a partnership with knife designer Steve Johnson, the field editor of Boar Hunter Magazine. Having spent years designing custom knives for fellow boar hunters and for military specialists, Mr. Johnson knows how to make knives for sticking. The Baconmaker resulted from a request by a Special Forces friend with his own ideas to contribute. Now built by Ka-Bar from high carbon Cro-Van steel, the Baconmaker was influenced by Persian blades but manufactured with stronger modern materials — including Ka-Bar’s new Adventuregrip handle slabs of textured Zytel.
Twelve-and-3/4 inches long overall, this full tang fixed blade includes 7-1/8 inches of recurved blade. The false upper edge gives the blade an efficient dagger shape for piercing, and the recurve makes the knife especially good at slashing. Recurved plain edges also do a fine job of gripping and severing cord and harness straps, without the sharpening problems a serrated edge presents. Grip features include a dropped bolster finger guard and a deep finger choil as well as a contoured handle for excellent reverse traction and a space on the knife’s spine for added thumb pressure.
The Baconmaker’s sheath allows rigging through MOLLE fittings or either of two belt loops. A small stuff sack on the sheath holds your favorite survival gear. If you’re thinking this is just too much blade for hunting, there’s a second skeletonized steel skinner, the Piggyback, already in its own slot in the same sheath. All that, plus 8 feet of Adventure Cord and Ka-Bar’s guarantee.
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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One of three Adventure series knives released by Ka-Bar in 2010, the Ka-Bar Adventure Baconmaker satisfies anybody who likes a knife with great style but treats their tools a little rough. This pigsticker can take it.
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