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.
Boker Tortoise Congress Pocket Knife | High Carbon Spear, Pen, & Sheepsfoot Blade
59 sec read
If you grew up with stainless steel pocket knives, you may not be aware there’s something better. High carbon tool steel pocket knives aren’t that common today, but Boker still makes several models, including the Tortoise Congress, with blades of American-made 1095.
Boker’s 3-5/8-inch-long Tortoise Congress is very similar to another Congress model used by champion turkey caller Len Yule. Mr. Yule uses several different versions of the Boker Congress to make his turkey calls. His main reason for choosing Boker is the high carbon tool steel cutting edge. When you make turkey calls that sell for over a thousand dollars each, you want the best edge possible.
The Tortoise Congress provides whittlers and other outdoorsmen four useful blades including spear, sheepsfoot, and two pen blades. The Congress’s sheepsfoot blade’s straight edge makes flat shavings and flush cuts, while the spear point can be used carefully for reaming and piercing as well as general carving. This isn’t a lockback folder, so be careful not to fold up the knife on your fingers, an amateur mistake you only make one time. Pen blades are handy for detail work. It never hurts to have an extra blade — use one pen blade where you’re bound to wreck the edge, and save the other for real cutting.
Boker’s Tortoise Congress pocket knife sports handle slabs of imitation tortoise shell — actually resin-injected cellulose — as good as the real thing, but much easier on the turtle. Combined with the generous nickel end bolsters, this gives the Tortoise Congress a traditional look you’ll prize.
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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If you grew up with stainless steel pocket knives, you may not be aware there’s something better. High carbon tool steel pocket knives aren’t that common today, but Boker still makes several models, including the Tortoise Congress, with blades of American-made 1095.
