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.
Columbia River Knife & Tool 30-30 Hunting Knife, Ebony or Cocobolo | CRKT Folding Hunter by Russ Kommer 2865E
59 sec read
The 30-30 Folding Hunter from Columbia River Knife and Tool was designed by former Alaskan hunting guide Russ Kommer. The knife’s build eliminates unsanitary gaps and shields important working parts from the mess that’s an unavoidable part of field dressing game.
The 30-30 also looks great with a hollow ground drop point blade of 1.4116 high carbon stainless steel hardened between Rockwell 55 and 57 and still tough enough to withstand heavy use. The high polish of the three-inch blade physically seals the pores in the metal, increasing the knife’s corrosion resistance. Stainless steel liners and spacers receive the same protective treatment.
Mechanically, the 30-30 shows that a lot of planning went into the design. The blade’s pivot bearing gets shielding from the wide bolster, cutting down on the contaminants that reach the bearing. Teflon bushings add permanent bearing lubrication. Buyers can choose between ebony and cocobolo handle scales, and either one is a fine natural handle material dense enough to repel moisture or oil instead of absorbing it.
The knife opens one-handed with a push on the blade’s thumb stud and locks in place with a strong liner-lock system. The 4-1/2-inch handle and three-inch blade are enough to dress out small game and even deer if you’re careful. Since there’s no pocket clip, you won’t find the knife difficult to grip if you work for hours instead of minutes. CRKT provides a contoured sheath of genuine leather for conveniently carrying the Russ Kommer 30-30 on your belt.
See the Chugach Range for another CRKT Ross Kommer design in a fixed blade style.
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 30-30 Folding Hunter from Columbia River Knife and Tool was designed by former Alaskan hunting guide Russ Kommer. The knife’s build eliminates unsanitary gaps and shields important working parts from the mess that’s an unavoidable part of field dressing game.
