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.
Made in Olean, New York, the KA-Fillet Fishing Knife requires minimal care. Built for the roughest working conditions, the knife is strong enough for tougher jobs than filleting fish.
The stamped high carbon stainless steel fillet blade seats in a large black Kraton handle which completely encloses the tang and serves as both grip and finger guard. The dropped heel gives it almost a pistol-grip feeling, and the slight finger choil increases control. There’s actually so much handle that it may get in the way when you’re working on smaller fish. The six-inch blade is accurately tapered and hollow ground but is also a little stiffer than the usual small fillet knife.
The 10-3/4-inch knife’s extra strength could be an advantage if you use the KA-Fillet for cutting bait or any other hard chores a good fishing knife meets. The molded hand guard will certainly come in handy when you’re using the knife for more than fine trimming. Thread a wrist loop through the lanyard hole for better knife security.
Ka-Bar provides a hard glass-filled nylon belt sheath for the KA-Fillet, so you’ll be able to wear it on the boat safely or store it away in the tackle box for the trip home. The sheath won’t encourage water to evaporate, but it is built to drain — that’s good enough for a short period of storage, but over the long term, be sure to dry both knife and sheath thoroughly before putting them away.
See the Queen Cutlery Fillet Knife for a more streamlined fillet knife with natural handle and leather sheath.
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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Made in Olean, New York, the KA-Fillet Fishing Knife requires minimal care. Built for the roughest working conditions, the knife is strong enough for tougher jobs than filleting fish.
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