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 Buck 303 Cadet condenses the blade selection of the Stockman series to a more convenient size for the pocket. The same three blades selected for the popular rancher’s pocketknife are featured here as well. With the Buck 303, you get a 2-5/8-inch clip point main blade plus a spey blade 1-3/4 inches long and a 1-3/4-inch sheepsfoot. All are from tempered high carbon 420HC stainless steel.
Handle construction is light but strong with pinned handle slabs of durable black synthetics matched to polished stainless steel bolsters. A small emblem on one side bears the words “Classic Bolt.” Originally marketed to farmers and ranchers for common chores having to do with livestock (the spey blade, for instance, was the usual choice for castrations), the assortment has proved equally useful to those in other trades. Whether you need to trim the insulation from a copper wire (because your tool kit is at home) or a box just arrived that’s taped permanently shut, the Buck 303 steps up with the solution to the small problems of the modern world as well as the older one.
In this pocket knife pattern none of the blades lock back, but all snap into place in the open position. Only slight pressure is needed to fold them back to the handle, so be careful if you’re using this knife for piercing work. At 3-1/4 inches in length when closed and only 1.9 ounces in weight, it may cause some people to wonder why all the fuss about ultralight knives. Buck’s been making them for years.
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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The Buck 303 Cadet condenses the blade selection of the Stockman series to a more convenient size for the pocket. The same three blades selected for the popular rancher’s pocketknife are featured here as well. With the Buck 303, you get a 2-5/8-inch clip point main blade plus a spey blade 1-3/4 inches long and a 1-3/4-inch sheepsfoot. All are from tempered high carbon 420HC stainless steel.
