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.


Wusthof Parmesan Hard Cheese Knife, Full Tang | Classic Forged High Carbon Stainless Steel

59 sec read

Wusthof Parmesan Hard Cheese Knife,Cutting through a block of hard Parmesan cheese might be one of the more dangerous jobs in the kitchen, if you have the wrong knife. This one is right — the Wusthof Classic 2-3/4-inch Parmesan Cheese knife, designed for dividing hard cheeses into smaller pieces safely.

This unique blade was built for piercing under heavy pressure, not for cutting. Press the point of the blade into the block to fracture the cheese into large pieces. Your fingers will be protected from slipping over the cutting edge because the design of the blade forms a natural bolster. Press the edge down over smaller pieces to divide Parmesan into blocks sized for the grater.

Wusthof’s Classic Parmesan knife may look small, but it’s impressively heavy and clearly built to take years of hard use. The beveled edge is as much wedge as cutting edge and sharpens more easily on a stone than with a sharpening steel. The knife works well even if not razor sharp. Keeping the edge sharp sets the blade more accurately against the work and gives more control.

Forged blade and bolster give the knife a classic look as well as practical strength. Keep it handy during dinner service for work at the table. It’s sure to be noticed and appreciated.

Wusthof’s stain-free high carbon stainless steel should be washed by hand after use and not put through the dishwasher. Acid foods or food dried on the blade could stain the steel. The polymer handle slabs permanently fastened to the full tang with stainless steel rivets won’t be affected.

Find this Wusthof Parmesan Cheese 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.


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