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.
Diamondstone Electric Kitchen Knife Sharpener | McGowan Diamond Sharpening Fine Grit, Black
1 min read
Designed for the chef who doesn’t use a whetstone, the McGowan Diamondstone Electric Knife Sharpener works well enough that you shouldn’t run your knives through it for that daily touch-up. Use a honing steel for the everyday maintenance, because if you like this fast cutting diamond-grit machine too much, you’ll soon run out of steel.
Sharpening knives on a stone isn’t a job everyone enjoys. It’s right on the cusp of that precise work that jangles nerves and makes some people grit their teeth. If you’re the sort who learned to work with dull knives or a long succession of cheap ones, a machine like the McGowan Diamondstone Sharpener can be a great help in the kitchen. The McGowan offers quick rejuvenation of old blades without allowing much to go wrong.
The rules are simple: Turn the machine on with the convenient rocker switch, place the blade in the slot, and pull it through with a straight, steady movement. Don’t use downward pressure, and don’t press the blade to either side. The most common problem with a sharpener like this is dipping the handle of the knife and dragging the sharp edge over the machine’s housing. That dulls the sharp knife on the way out, so pay attention and don’t blame the machine.
There will always be a short piece of unsharpened blade near the bolster which the wheels can’t quite reach, and sharpening the curve of a blade all the way to the tip can be tricky — but in general, the system works very well. The diamond grit wheels set the blade to the angle that’s factory standard for American and European knives, but it’s too wide for Japanese knives. The motor is certainly strong enough to handle the work, and the long-lasting diamond grit cutting wheels raise the warranty on this machine to three full years. That’s a lot of sharp knives.
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 Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
Designed for the chef who doesn’t use a whetstone, the McGowan Diamondstone Electric Knife Sharpener works well enough that you shouldn’t run your knives through it for that daily touch-up. Use a honing steel for the everyday maintenance, because if you like this fast cutting diamond-grit machine too much, you’ll soon run out of steel.
