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.
Lone Wolf Trailmate Fixed Knife w/ Leather Sheath | Plain & False Edge w/ Black G-10 Epoxy Handle by Steve Kelley
1 min read
The Lone Wolf Kelly Trailmate knife looks simple enough, but there’s an unusual idea included. This traditionally-styled fixed blade includes a leather belt sheath built for horizontal carry.
The Trailmate, designed by knife maker Steve Kelley, is another example of the fine detail and craftsmanship that’s standard for the Lone Wolf workshop. The slightly dropped point of the 3.5-inch high carbon stainless steel blade includes a section of false upper edge for piercing work. A flat section near the handle includes notched jimping for better thumb pressure. Two finger grooves provide most of the grip, but there’s enough handle beyond that to fit the palm comfortably. G-10 handle slabs aren’t just riveted to the full tang — the slabs sit on a base of epoxy for a permanent seamless bond to the metal. Each slab face is completely covered with milled cross-hatching for a non-slip hold even when wet. G-10 also resists extremes of temperature and holds up to chemicals.
Made of premium 154CM stainless steel, the 7-1/2-inch Kelly Trailmate weighs only 6.1 ounces, including the leather sheath. Flat ground and satin-finished, the Trailmate undergoes heat treating, tempering, and cryogenic hardening to toughen the steel and harden the cutting edge.
This knife’s carrying system should surprise you, since the fine leather sheath is build to ride horizontally on the belt. If you tried that with most sheaths, your good knife would soon be lying on the ground. The close form-fitting of the Trailmate’s sheath doesn’t leave room for slips. The handle grip slides into a snug silhouette that only releases the Kelly Trailmate when you lift and pull.
See the Lone Wolf Paul Perfecto for another unusual design from this team of expert knife makers.
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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The Lone Wolf Kelly Trailmate knife looks simple enough, but there’s an unusual idea included. This traditionally-styled fixed blade includes a leather belt sheath built for horizontal carry.
