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.
Six steak knives from Wusthof’s Gourmet line — their least expensive — come with their own handsome oak storage block in this seven-piece block set. Convenient for out-of-the-way countertop storage, the dedicated steak knife block is a great idea. The knives themselves are good but definitely at the bottom end of Wusthof’s offerings.
Good features include laser-cut stain-free blades of chrome-molybdenum-vanadium steel alloy. Manufactured with plain edges, these steak knives can actually be honed with a sharpening steel. With only a little extra care, you’ll have no more dull steak knives at the table. Like the other smaller knives in Wusthof’s Gourmet series, these steak knives do not have full tang handles, but they come close. The narrower flat tang of these knives is completely encased in the polymer handle and triple-riveted in place, giving the knives the same general appearance as Wusthof’s full tang prep knives.
The shape of the knife blank is laser cut, not stamped, from a sheet of high carbon steel. Laser cutting reduces stress on the knife blank, eliminating distortion. Since there’s no forging involved, the steel retains all of its original characteristics. On the down side, there’s less steel in these thinner blades, making them more vulnerable to bending stress — especially at the junction with the handle.
This stain-free steel is rated dishwasher safe but does discolor if food dries on the blade and may spot with rust if improperly dried. A quick hand wash-and-dry after use — with a mild detergent and no citrus scents (the acid may etch the metal) — is the best way to care for these knives. High temperatures and harsh cleaners in an automatic dishwasher could shorten their lifetimes.
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.
The Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
Six steak knives from Wusthof’s Gourmet line — their least expensive — come with their own handsome oak storage block in this seven-piece block set. Convenient for out-of-the-way countertop storage, the dedicated steak knife block is a great idea. The knives themselves are good but definitely at the bottom end of Wusthof’s offerings.
