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.
Gerber Camp Hand Axe, Chopping & Wood Splitting | Nylon Handle w/ Belt Sheath 45905
57 sec read
The Gerber 45905 Camp Axe is a good size for canoeists and hunters able to carry larger gear on their backwoods journeys. Although it’s nearly indestructible, the wrap-around handle style does limit the cut compared to traditional builds.
That’s really the only drawback to this axe’s nearly one-piece construction. Owners shouldn’t have problems with broken handles or loose axe heads if the tool is used properly. The glass-filled nylon handle completely surrounds the tool steel axe head and is molded seamlessly to it. Lightweight and only 1-1/2 feet long, the axe still delivers plenty of chopping power with most of the two pounds focused in the axe head itself. That puts the force of the swing where the axe cuts. When the axe strikes, very little of that force comes back to your hand.
For either chopping or splitting, you’ll find that wrapped handle a bother if you tackle anything big. In a deep notch, the handle catches the wood and deflects the blow, and the axe could stop short if you’re splitting tough hardwood. No tool is unbreakable, and twisting the axe to break it loose could cause structural problems. The axe is still tough enough that careful users with some skill and common sense should experience no trouble.
Gerber includes a belt sheath of ballistic nylon fabric, a sensible and safe way to carry this useful woodsman’s tool.
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 Gerber 45905 Camp Axe is a good size for canoeists and hunters able to carry larger gear on their backwoods journeys. Although it’s nearly indestructible, the wrap-around handle style does limit the cut compared to traditional builds.
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