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.
Case Bird Hook Yellow Hunting Knife | Discontinued Collector’s Item
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This unusual knife style — discontinued by many manufacturers — is so far still a standard offer at Case. Nevertheless the bird hook knife may be a collector’s item unless you’re a game bird hunter. The 3.5-inch clip point stainless steel blade could serve as an everyday pocket knife but was intended for dressing small birds like pigeon and quail. Probably only bird hunters will know the purpose of the hook.
Inserted into the anal vent of a bagged game bird, the steel hook blade of the Bird Hook Knife removes the entrails with a deft twist and firm pull, simplifying the cleaning process. The yellow polymer handle slabs pinned to the folding knife may help locate the knife if dropped in tall grass but were probably chosen because of their similarity to the more traditional ivory or bone.
Only 3-7/8 inches long folded, the Case Bird Hook Knife is an old pattern which opens with a fingernail notch instead of a thumb stud. Without pocket clips or projections, it sits smoothly in the jeans pocket or the pouch of the hunting vest. Though the clip point blade doesn’t lock back, the knife is still well suited to the task it was designed to handle. Just remember the blade folds if you put pressure in the wrong direction. It’s a lesson people learn quickly.
To most people, the Bird Hook knife has an elegant and somewhat mysterious look. If you don’t want to explain it in polite company, you can pass it off as a parcel hook for grabbing boxes tied with string.
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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This unusual knife style — discontinued by many manufacturers — is so far still a standard offer at Case. Nevertheless the bird hook knife may be a collector’s item unless you’re a game bird hunter. The 3.5-inch clip point stainless steel blade could serve as an everyday pocket knife but was intended for dressing small birds like pigeon and quail. Probably only bird hunters will know the purpose of the hook.
