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.



Wenger Alinghi Yachtsman Boating Multitool | Swiss Army Knife Locking Knife 16310

1 min read

Wenger Alinghi Yachtsman BoatingEight multi-purpose blades give the Alinghi Yachtsman a total of 17 functions. This sensible assortment of strong tools makes the Alinghi an excellent multi-tool for anyone who works with rope, rigging and machinery.

Wenger designed the Alinghi for use on yachts, but any outdoorsman would find this knife handy. The mechanics tools include large and small locking flat-blade screwdrivers, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and a Phillips screwdriver blade. That’s enough to solve many common gear problems. Unless you work with rope, you may be mystified by the shape of the English and metric ruler, which doubles as a marlinspike for loosening stubborn knots. The unusual spike design looks fragile, but the tempered stainless steel handles most jobs well.

The pliers on the Wenger Alinghi qualify as light duty, and unless you’re wearing gloves, you’ll find the grip pressure limited by your own pain threshold. The slim steel handle of these pliers isn’t something you’ll find comfortable over the long term, but it certainly will come in handy for small jobs. The body of the knife provides a much better grip with a tacky nonslip surface you’ll find easy to hold in wet weather and a shape that prevents slipping even when hands are cold and clumsy.

The Alinghi’s 3.9-inch high carbon stainless steel main blade features a generous serrated cutting edge with the front half plain edged for fine work. The knife is designed for one-handed operation in either hand. Swing the main blade out with thumb pressure on the blade’s steel loop. The blade locks automatically in the working position, and unlocks with thumb pressure on the button lock. Closing the knife one-handed is also safe and simple, and the 5.1-inch knife stores easily in its nylon belt pouch.

For a simpler rigging knife, see the Myerchin B300.

Find this Wenger Alinghi Multitool:

 

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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