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.
Mundial Diamond Sharpening Steel | Professional Industrial Cutlery Hone, Black
1 min read
The professional-quality Diamond Sharpening Steel from Mundial of Brazil will sharpen blades ordinary honing steels can’t touch. Harder steel and worn edges can both be restored to working order with the Diamond Hone, but be cautious. There’s still good reason to own a whetstone.
Honing steels were not intended to shape edges, only to reset an edge that turns out of line with the blade. Diamond grit sharpening steels actually cut steel from the blade on each pass — using them too much can shorten the knife’s lifetime and doesn’t create the best cutting edge possible.
When knives do become worn beyond simple resetting, grinding on a flat stone is the usual remedy. The Diamond Hone postpones that day a little longer and can correct minor defects on its own. Many cooks will actually prefer this abrasive hone since results are a little easier to spot, but perfectionists may be happier with more traditional sharpening tools.
Diamond hones are not tricky to use but often create unreasonable expectations in new users. The cutting action is faster when the hone is new, since some diamond chips set higher than others and cut with a coarser effect until the hone is broken in. When the true honing surface is fully exposed, the action is smoother and the resulting edge is sharper — but the cutting action of the hone isn’t so dramatic. Rotate the hone in use to avoid wearing away only one facet of the rod, and rinse the hone after use to prevent clogging it with steel shavings. Unlike regular honing steels, diamond hones will affect even the hardest steel edges — but follow the sharpening advice of the knife manufacturer or risk damaging your best blades.
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 professional-quality Diamond Sharpening Steel from Mundial of Brazil will sharpen blades ordinary honing steels can’t touch. Harder steel and worn edges can both be restored to working order with the Diamond Hone, but be cautious. There’s still good reason to own a whetstone.
