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.
Knife designers Chris Reeves and William W. Harsey Jr. collaborated on the technical details of the Gerber LHR Urban Combat Knife, but Matt Larsen — an expert in close quarters combat — also contributed some unusual ideas. Larsen studied hundreds of actual combat encounters before finalizing the LHR concept. Designed for the urban soldier, the Gerber LHR concept is as much about knife retention as it is about the fighting blade.
This 12-1/2-inch-long fixed blade of low luster high carbon stainless steel doesn’t skimp on the grip. The hefty full tang handle includes a deep finger choil and generous dropped bolster. Handle slabs of TacHide provide a surface permanently just tacky enough to be secure under any wet or dry conditions. The slightly dropped heel contributes to retention when pulling the knife back from the target, and the V-shaped pommel with lanyard hole also serves as a handy glass breaker. The knife’s false upper edge adds to its piercing power, and there’s a short section of serrated edge to take care of rope and straps quickly.
What’s really new and different here is the sheath, which features an unusual locking mechanism that only releases with a push of the thumb. Grip the hilt, push the release plate down, and pull the knife free. If anyone else tries it, they won’t have the proper leverage to make it happen. That’s certainly a handy feature, but it will take some practice before it’s fast and instinctive. Getting the knife back in the sheath and past the lock is also a little tricky, but you won’t need to worry about the LHR coming loose whether you’re fighting or just fighting your way through heavy brush.
For a look at another of Gerber’s fine tactical fixed blades, see the Gerber Prodigy.
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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Knife designers Chris Reeves and William W. Harsey Jr. collaborated on the technical details of the Gerber LHR Urban Combat Knife, but Matt Larsen — an expert in close quarters combat — also contributed some unusual ideas. Larsen studied hundreds of actual combat encounters before finalizing the LHR concept. Designed for the urban soldier, the Gerber LHR concept is as much about knife retention as it is about the fighting blade.
