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.


Fully Handmade Damascus Katana | Battle Ready, Functional & Practical Cutting Sword 235

1 min read

Fully Handmade Damascus Katana This practical cutting sword from Fully Handmade Swords outfits a blade of Damascus-type steel with traditional fittings of solid bronze. Decoration is minimal, but the art’s in the katana — you’ll find this one excellent for tamashigiri cutting practice as well as for display.

The forged 28.3-inch blade of the 42.5-inch katana forms 1,024 layers of folded high carbon steel, shaped with fullered blood grooves and heat-treated for an even hardness thoughout. Fittings including the bladeguard or tsuba and the pommel of the sword are cast bronze, lightly polished to accentuate details in the castings. The construction of the 2.5-pound katana is traditional with a wooden grip pinned to the full tang of the blade. Real rayskin wraps the handgrip, and a woven cord ito provides the traditional functional covering. The sword’s tang carries the engraved signature of the smith who produced it along with a unique identifying number. The wooden scabbard shows a flawless black piano lacquer finish with a black sageo of flat cloth braid.

Fully Handmade considers their practical swords to be fully functional but does offer some practical advice about selecting proper targets and using the katana effectively. Green bamboo or rolled tatami mats make good training tools, providing useful resistance without unnecessary damage to blade or edge. Targets also cut more easily when struck at a 45-degree angle. Kits for proper maintenance and sharpening are available but not included with the sword. If fittings are damaged during practice, the sword completely disassembles. Repair parts are available.

For another practical cutter, see the Hanwei Functional Wakizashi.

Find this Fully Handmade Damascus Katana:

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[phpbay]Fully Handmade Damascus Katana, 2[/phpbay]

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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