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.
The Henckels Twin Select 3 Knife Starter Set offers the three practical blades most needed in any kitchen. The style and build of the Henckels set is similar to the Wusthof Culinar 3-Piece Starter Set but lower in price. Though the Wusthof Culinar set is nearly bulletproof, this competitive selection from Henckels runs close to it in many ways.
The Twin Select series offers both fully forged and composite welded knives, with examples of each in this starter selection. Only the four-inch plain edged paring knife is fully forged from one bar of high carbon stainless steel. The six-inch utility knife and eight-inch chef’s knife — both of which also have easily sharpened and professionally tapered ground plain edges — use three different stainless steel alloys welded together. The three sections contain varying amounts of carbon, chromium, and other elements to tailor the quality of the steel to the needs of the knife part.
In a forged blade, the needs for a strong knife spine, a sharp knife edge, and a resilient handle tang are met by shaping and tempering — the forged knife is usually heavier, stronger, and stiffer than a knife built with other methods. The composite welding of the Twin Select knives offers specialized knife qualities without all the extra weight. Many of the characteristics of high quality forged knives roll over into this lighter modern build.
In practical terms, the thing you’ll notice as different in these Henckels knives is the handle. Wusthof places the weight and bulk of the stainless steel to the rear, and Henckels centers the grip in your hand. Handles of Henckels knives glow with a satin finish while Wusthof handles gleam with a high polish. With a clean build and a modern look, both knife sets are close together in performance terms.
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.
The Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
The Henckels Twin Select 3 Knife Starter Set offers the three practical blades most needed in any kitchen. The style and build of the Henckels set is similar to the Wusthof Culinar 3-Piece Starter Set but lower in price. Though the Wusthof Culinar set is nearly bulletproof, this competitive selection from Henckels runs close to it in many ways.
