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.



British Army Fishing Pocket Knife For Boating | Stainless Steel Marlinspike, Sheepsfoot Blade, Screwdriver & Can Opener

57 sec read

British Army Fishing Pocket Knife ForThe triple-bladed British Army Knife would make more sense in a sailor’s pocket, but anyone who works with rope will find it handy. Knives with marlin spikes are found more often on boats. If you’ve ever struggled with a stubborn knot in camp, you’ve found the reason for the spike blade, even if you didn’t have the tool and the answer to your problem.

An all-stainless steel build makes this knife a great choice for anyone working on or around seawater. If you’re a yachtsman or fisherman looking for a practical pocket knife for those days on the boat, the British Army knife would be about right. A stout sheepsfoot blade 2.5 inches long cuts line, rope, or bait held against any flush surface. The can opener might be redundant if the galley’s filled with pull-top cans, but the 3-inch marlinspike won’t go out of style.

Even a simple bowline knot designed to release easily often won’t, now that most lines are synthetic and stretch until knots tighten down rock-solid. Pulling one of those apart by hand may loosen up fingernails faster than the knot. With the marlinspike, there’s still a chance of working it loose by inserting the spike beneath the turns and prying the knot apart without damaging the cordage. Of course, if that doesn’t work, you’ve always got the sheepsfoot blade and the Gordian Knot solution.

Made simple and strong, the knife includes a lanyard ring and a short flathead screwdriver blade. It isn’t pretty, but it does everything it was built to do.

Find this British Army 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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