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 Premier Bamboo Knife Block Set | Sharpening Steel, Kitchen Shears, Essential 7 Piece

1 min read

Shun Premier Bamboo Knife Block Set The Shun Premier Essential 7-Piece Block Set includes four of the most popular kitchen knife styles plus a matching sharpening steel, kitchen shears, and a fine bamboo storage block. The awarding-winning Premier series of knives was named Kitchen Knife of the Year for 2010 by Blade Magazine. The block even has room for the two Premier knives not included in this basic block set.

Each knife features a hand-hammered Damask steel blade with tsuchime finish and a core layer of SG-10 high carbon stainless steel. You’ll find four useful knives with a look that’s good enough to display. The set includes the Premier 4-inch paring knife, 6-1/2-inch utility knife, 8-inch chef’s knife, and 9-inch bread knife. All but the bread knife feature thin SG-10 plain edges, long-lasting and easy to sharpen. The bread knife’s scalloped edge meets the same high standards with a 16-degree bevel on each side and a core hardened to Rockwell 60 to 62. This scalloped edge will require professional sharpening when the edge eventually wears down, but expect high performance and long life between servicing.

Knife handles all use the new and comfortable shape that Shun re-designed for the Premier series. Walnut Pakkawood grips, permanently mounted between a solid stainless steel end cap and a streamlined front bolster, give the knife handles a natural look. Pakkawood uses layers of real hardwood injected with resin to build a durable grip that withstands even the high temperatures of dishwashers but requires very little maintenance.

The knife block provides the best possible storage for these fine tools and needs only an occasional rub-down with mineral or vegetable oil to maintain the polish and repel moisture.

See the Shun Classic Bamboo Knife Block Set for another assortment of fine Shun kitchen knives.

Find this Shun Knife Block Set:

Find this knife block set on eBay:

[phpbay]Shun Knife Block Set, 2[/phpbay]

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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