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.



Shun Honing Sharpening Steel | Premier 9 Inch w/ Walnut Pakkawood Handle

1 min read

Shun Honing Sharpening Steel The Shun Premier 9 Inch Honing Steel matches the appearance and quality of the Shun Premier line chosen as Blade Magazine’s Kitchen Knife of the Year for 2010. If used carefully, this hone maintains the razor edges of the plain-edged Premier knives, but a good set of waterstones will have more effect on their hard SG-10 steel.

In design, the honing steel is an excellent match built with the same solid steel end cap and resin-injected black walnut Pakkawood grip. A thick stainless steel guard keeps distance between the hand and the blade of the knife you hone. The steel will maintain knives with ordinary temper as well as the harder blades of the Shun Premier product line, but using this steel on the Premier knives requires some careful adjustment in technique.

Shun Premier’s Damask steel blades use many layers of tough high carbon stainless steel to support one hard layer of cutting edge. That edge is ground to a more acute angle than European knife edges, and the SG-10 is also tempered to a hard and long-lasting Rockwell 60 to 62. The efficient but thin edge won’t hold up to as much side pressure as ordinary knife steel. Using too much pressure on the honing steel could chip the edge. Shun actually recommends waterstones for sharpening its plain-edged knives.

If you want a honing steel to match a collection of Premier blades, this is still an excellent sharpening steel for all the European-style blades in your kitchen. Just be cautious with the Premier’s.

See the KAI Combination Whetstone Sharpener with Stand for a home sharpening system appropriate for the fine edges of the Premier knives.

Find this Shun Honing Steel:

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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