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.
Since the Buck Pathfinder only weighs 4.5 ounces, it’s hard to argue that there’s no need to take a full-sized knife with you on your longest walks. The Pathfinder’s streamlined design puts a 5-inch high carbon stainless steel hollow ground blade in your hand with less overall weight and more convenience than many large pocket knives.
The blade design is slender, and the phenolic and stainless steel handle built on the Pathfinder’s rat tail tang is only just large enough for a secure grip. In spite of the light materials, the Pathfinder has the strength you need for camp chores and field dressing game. The seamless build also cleans up well — a feature that’s always missing from a hunting folder. The strong stainless steel finger guard gives hand protection where you need it and still allows comfortable thumb pressure on the back of the blade for fine control.
Heavy brush could snatch a knife this light out of the black leather sheath and you’d never know it — but somebody at Buck already thought about that possibility. A wide snap loop secures the handle of the Pathfinder, locking it securely in place with a simple design that’s one of the best looking you’ll find. Good knives often come in crude sheaths — this one has a sheath that matches the black and silver simplicity of the knife itself. Like most belt knives, the Pathfinder’s designed to hang on the right hip — lefties will have to adapt.
The 420HC stainless steel blade isn’t pry bar strong, but that’s a necessary trade-off in a knife with the practical cutting ability of a heavy hunting knife, without the heavy parts.
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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Since the Buck Pathfinder only weighs 4.5 ounces, it’s hard to argue that there’s no need to take a full-sized knife with you on your longest walks. The Pathfinder’s streamlined design puts a 5-inch high carbon stainless steel hollow ground blade in your hand with less overall weight and more convenience than many large pocket knives.
