JT Hats
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.



Masaharu Morimoto Miyabi Bread Knife | Henckels Iron Chef Cutlery, Full Tang Friodur 9 Inch

55 sec read

Masaharu Morimoto Miyabi Bread Knife Forged with a 9-inch blade of Friodur ice-hardened German steel, the Miyabi Morimoto Edition Bread Knife belongs to a series created by Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto for Zwilling J.A. Henckels’ new Japanese branch — Miyabi of Seki, Japan.

This nicely balanced bread knife uses one blank of high carbon stainless steel to form a one-piece full tang knife with a solid stainless steel bolster. Although the knife is manufactured in Japan, the handle design meets European standards. Triple-riveted handle slabs of black polymer are permanently bonded to the knife’s tang, matching the angled bolster with gap-free precision.

Chef Masaharu Morimoto — famous for his fusion blend of Japanese, European, and Asian cuisines — designed the 600-S series of knives for Miyabi. Chef Morimoto recommends this knife for western chefs new to Japanese blades, who prefer familiar grips instead of the traditional Japanese handle styles. The Friodur steel used in this bread knife also has familiar qualities, since it’s the same steel — hardened to Rockwell 57 for toughness and easy sharpening — that Henckels uses in its German-made cutlery.

Each 600-S knife is produced by Japanese craftsmen and finished with a traditional three-stage honing process. The razor-sharp edge serrations should be long-lived if the knife is used with care. Don’t dull the edge by drawing the knife across glass or ceramic. Use plastic or wooden cutting boards beneath hard-crusted rolls and breads.

For a smaller European-style bread knife, see the 8-inch Victorinox Forged Bread Knife.

Find this Miyabi Morimoto Bread Knife:

 

JT Hats
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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