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.
Eragon Galbatorix Dragon Rider King Fantasy Sword | Includes Leather Scabbard, Wood Display Plaque & Collector Certificate
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The Sword of Galbatorix recreates the battle sword of the evil Dragon Rider King from the story Eragon. Beginning as the first literary effort of a fifteen-year-old author, the epic story of Eragon progressed from daydream to self-published book and eventually to a well-known mainstream fantasy novel and movie.
This reproduction of the sword of Galbatorix matches the details of the blade shown in the 20th Century Fox movie directed by Stephen Fangmeier. Though the movie fared badly with reviewers, the story itself has been compared to Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings. Fans of the epic tale of the farm boy who becomes a vengeful but honorable dragon knight should be pleased with this massive sword — the weapon of a young king who turned to the side of evil when his beloved dragon mount met an untimely end.
Fifty inches in overall length, the sword’s blade is high carbon stainless steel fullered with a central blood groove. The sword’s double edges are ground and polished but not sharpened. Pommel and handguard are ornate cast metal with gold-like plating — the handguard is finely detailed with dragon-heads as crossbars and a dragon scale motif. The grip of polished hardwood is divided by polished metal spacers.
The Galbatorix sword comes with a leather-bound scabbard with fittings of the same gold-toned metal as the sword. The set also includes a polished wooden plaque for wall display and a certificate of authenticity.
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 Sword of Galbatorix recreates the battle sword of the evil Dragon Rider King from the story Eragon. Beginning as the first literary effort of a fifteen-year-old author, the epic story of Eragon progressed from daydream to self-published book and eventually to a well-known mainstream fantasy novel and movie.
