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 Kitchen Presentation Paring Knife | Fruit Carving Birds Beak 2 1/2 Inch

57 sec read

Shun Kitchen Presentation Paring Knife The Birds Beak Paring Knife from Shun handles difficult tasks many chefs don’t find essential. If your cooking includes sculpted fruits and vegetables, exotics like Bride’s Tears potatoes, or even the common ginger root, you’ll find the Shun Birds Beak Paring Knife very handy.

Peelers are built for straight and uniformly shaped vegetables — like the hybrid carrots we all get at the supermarket. Try that same peeler — or straight paring knife — on a convoluted yet delicious Bride’s Tear (an heirloom variety potato from Peru), and you’ll wind up with very little food for the plate. Those situations, not the ordinary events of the average kitchen, are perfect applications for the Birds Beak knife. Unusual foods require special tools.

Once you get over the shock of the concave cutting edge and needle-sharp point of this knife, it may become one of your favorites, since the curved blade matches the surface of many common fruits and veggies and does result in better work, if you practice. If you get your carrots from the garden rather than the grocery, this knife could mean the difference between using a carrot and throwing it out. Home-grown produce is rarely straight and perfect, and peelers reduce food with character to a pile of throw-away peelings.

Shun’s version of this gourmet chef’s knife features a stainless steel D-shaped handle and 32 layers of tough stainless steel sandwiched around a core layer of hard VG-10 steel. Use ordinary care, and this unusual knife’s edge could stay razor sharp for months.

Find this Shun Birds Beak 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.



Electric Scissors & Knife Sharpener by Smith Abrasives |…

The Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
JT Hats
1 min read

Fiskars Scissors Sharpener | Shears & Scissor Blade Restoring…

You’ve probably accumulated quite a few pairs of inexpensive scissors that are too good to throw away but not sharp enough to work well....
JT Hats
1 min read