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.
Leatherman Folding Camping Knife w/ Carabiner | Combo Edge Drop Point C303 830301
1 min read
Something you won’t find in many folding clip knives is a built-in carabiner clip. The Leatherman C303 has it, plus a couple of tricks you wouldn’t expect even from a company that makes multi-tools.
Leatherman’s C303 was built for utility use, but the 3.2-ounce knife is a good size for campers and other outdoorsmen also. At just over four inches closed, there’s enough to grip securely, and the polished aluminum frame handle is comfortable in hand. The C303’s stainless steel pocket clip might wear a few blisters during extended use, but it is removable — and with this knife, there’s an alternative: the carabiner clip.
The carabiner is high carbon stainless steel and ruggedly built, strong enough to do double duty as a bottle opener. Clip the C303 anywhere on your gear you find it handy, a great feature for backpackers who don’t want a pocket folder crunching under the pack’s waist belt all day. Both the carabiner and the 420HC three-inch drop point combo serrated blade fold into the skeletonized handle. You’d expect one-handed blade opening, and Leatherman provides that with a thumb stud system called Blade Launcher, easier to work than their earlier models. What might surprise you is that the carabiner clip also opens one-handed, and both carabiner and blade lock into a fully open position.
With all that, the Leatherman C303 looks like a great choice for anyone who works or plays where you need one hand just to hold onto something. If you fish or sail, hike or climb, the C303 fits right in. Leatherman guarantees it for 25 years.
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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Something you won’t find in many folding clip knives is a built-in carabiner clip. The Leatherman C303 has it, plus a couple of tricks you wouldn’t expect even from a company that makes multi-tools.
