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.



Culinary Institute Knife Block Set of 7, Masters Collection | CIA Hyde Park Cutlery w/ Hardwood Storage

59 sec read

Culinary Institute Knife Block Set ofThe CIA’s Masters Collection Hyde Park 7-Piece Block set was designed by the master chefs on the faculty of the Culinary Institute of America. This non-profit culinary training college has sixty years of experience and gains some financial support by field-testing professional cutlery on-site in training kitchens and the school’s five restaurants in Hyde Park, New York.

CIA’s chefs chose this assortment of seven forged prep knives to cover all the bases in a professional kitchen. Forged from high carbon Solingen no-stain steel, the pattern of the knives isn’t unusual and includes the familiar triple-riveted full tang handle build of most German cutlery. The balance point of the knives is forward of the poly-resin handle for better control and less hand fatigue. Handle shape is comfortable yet straighter and lighter than many modern patterns. Forged bolsters are the modern reduced design, giving the blade more strength without getting in the way.

The set includes one paring knife, a 6-inch boning knife, and a fillet knife not usually found in basic sets. The 8-inch chef’s knife, 9-inch bread knife, and 10-inch slicing knife really are professionally sized — you might find the extra blade length of the set’s main knives unusual at first, but you won’t have to step up to better blades. The bamboo storage block is also an excellent choice, beautiful and durable with the good qualities of prime hardwood but built from slender strips of perfectly fitted and renewable bamboo.

Easily sharpened and maintained, the CIA Masters Collection really does offer something different and better than the usual commercial assortment.

Find this Culinary Institute Knife Block Set :

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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