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.
A light but strong plain-edged knife well suited to everyday use, the Kershaw Scallion clips to your pocket and stays within reach. If you find yourself too busy to free both hands, the Speed-Safe feature designed by Ken Onion lets you open and close the stout blade with one hand. That’s handy even if you’re only wrestling with a shipping crate.
The 2-1/4″ blade of 420 high carbon stainless steel sharpens easily and holds a good edge. The slightly concave cutting edge catches and shears rope, belts, and cord efficiently, even without the usual serrations. With no teeth to worry about, you can even sharpen it yourself. If you plan to use a knife frequently, that’s a great advantage. The liner lock keeps the blade open while you’re working, and the tip lock secures it shut when you’re not. Use them properly and there’s no worries about this knife coming open in your pocket. The Scallion’s wide blade is much stronger than the ordinary pen knife but doesn’t take up much more space.
The polyamide handle’s crosshatched surface allows a secure and comfortable grip, and for even more convenience in heavy use, just remove the Phillips screws that hold the stainless steel clip in place and work without it. Ultralight gear enthusiasts could save a bit on weight by leaving the clip at home. The Scallion — clip included — only weighs 2.3 ounces, but it’s strong and tough. The wide 3.5 inch handle provides excellent leverage and the generous finger notch allows hard use without slipping. It’s more than you’d expect in an ultralight weight clip folder.
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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A light but strong plain-edged knife well suited to everyday use, the Kershaw Scallion clips to your pocket and stays within reach. If you find yourself too busy to free both hands, the Speed-Safe feature designed by Ken Onion lets you open and close the stout blade with one hand. That’s handy even if you’re only wrestling with a shipping crate.
