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 Sandwich Z Knife, Offset Serrated | 7 or 9 Inch w/ Yellow Antibacterial Handle
1 min read
The professional-quality Mundial Offset Sandwich Knife with serrated edge follows the Z-knife pattern — one of the blade styles preferred by famous chef Anthony Bourdain. With its extra knuckle clearance, the Offset Knife works like a lightweight chef’s knife — if you brown-bag your lunch, it’s a great time saver.
The sandwich knife comes in two blade lengths — a 7-inch and a 9-inch version. Serrated edges work well with typical sandwich ingredients like tomatoes, which resist a plain edge knife unless it’s razor sharp. The serrations start the cut on the first touch, making short work of tomatoes, onions, cold meat and other flavorful standbys. The offset knife divides the finished sandwich accurately — the edge starts quickly on hard crusts and parts the stack without crushing what’s inside.
Use the sandwich knife on wooden or plastic cutting boards, not on ceramic plates or glass serving trays. The serrated edge stays sharp if applied within its limits, but will dull if skipped across hard surfaces like glass or bone. Washing by hand will also extend the lifetime of the cutting edge — in dishwashers, the heat, chemicals, and mechanical vibration will gradually erode the cutting edge of any stainless steel knife.
Mundial designed the 5600 series — including this sandwich knife — with the professional restaurant cook in mind. Shaped ergonomically, the handle style was made for production work and built to last in the tough conditions of “the back kitchen.” The Mundial Serrated Offset Sandwich Knife also meets NSF food service certification standards. Sanitizing elements in the polypropylene prevent the growth of odor-emitting bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. That’s a plus no matter how clean you keep your kitchen.
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 Mundial Offset Sandwich Knife with serrated edge follows the Z-knife pattern — one of the blade styles preferred by famous chef Anthony Bourdain. With its extra knuckle clearance, the Offset Knife works like a lightweight chef’s knife — if you brown-bag your lunch, it’s a great time saver.
