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.
Kershaw Black Shallot Tactical Knife | Ken Onion Folding Tungsten DLC, Plain or Combo Edge Blade
1 min read
The Kershaw tactical knife called the Black Shallot at first looks a little too sleek if you’re accustomed to blocky, tactical knives. You won’t see the usual marks of a dependable knife — no cross-hatched handle slabs or overly heavy blade — but the dependability is still there.
One of the things I like best about the Kershaw Black Shallot is what it doesn’t have — there are no thumb studs on this blade. The Black Shallot uses Ken Onion’s patented one-handed opening system called Speed-Safe. A tab at the base of the blade projects above the handle when closed. Thumb pressure on the tab overcomes the initial locking resistance, freeing the blade. The spring-assisted mechanism then takes over, snapping the Shallot’s blade open and locking it with a strong frame-lock. Keep it clean and it’s the next best thing to an automatic knife. That’s why there are no thumb studs on the blade to catch on the work and limit the use of the cutting edge. Not everyone would be bothered by that little inconvenience, but in the Black Shallot, it’s not even there.
The Shallot’s 3-1/2-inch blade comes in either plain-edge or combo-serrated styles. Both types use Sandvik 14C28N high carbon stainless steel, ground with a slightly recurved edge. Keep the plain-edged version sharp and that slight hook will grab and sever rope and harness straps — as well as the serrated version — and do cleaner work.
If you prefer a serrated knife for the rough jobs, the serrations on the combo-edged version of the Shallot are enough to make sense. There’s only enough serration to make the option work well, leaving the rest of the blade clean-edged and useful. In the combo Shallot, all the teeth are in line and the same height, so there’s little snagging or skipping.
Even with the 410 stainless steel handle components, the Shallot only weighs 4.2 ounces. A closed length of 4-3/8 inches and a removable stainless steel clip make it a perfect fit for any pocket, uniform or not.
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.
Designed by Doug Ritter of “Equipped to Survive,” the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak earned positive reviews from survival instructor Cody Lundin and...
Multi-purpose gear for hikers, backpackers, and other outdoorsmen gets better every year. If you make the Buck 731 X-Tract LED Multi-Tool part of your...
Leatherman’s back with an even stronger version of the original Leatherman Super Tool. The Super Tool 300 Multi-tool offers the strongest pair of multi-tool...
The Kershaw tactical knife called the Black Shallot at first looks a little too sleek if you’re accustomed to blocky, tactical knives. You won’t see the usual marks of a dependable knife — no cross-hatched handle slabs or overly heavy blade — but the dependability is still there.
