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.
Mundial Chef’s Knife Set of 8 w/ Travel Case | Full Tang Antimicrobial w/ Diamond Sharpening Steel, White W56-982
53 sec read
This professional 8-Piece Chef’s Set from Mundial of Brazil has some genuine advantages when compared to top quality cutlery from other manufacturers. These practical knives flex rather than break, sharpen easily, and aren’t expensive to replace if someone else “borrows” one of your good knives.
The Mundial 5600 series was designed for long term use by restaurant and food service professionals. Blades of cold-rolled stamped high carbon stainless steel are well tempered for hard use, and the full tangs give them enough durability to actually test the Mundial lifetime warranty. Grips are designed for safety in all types of conditions from wet and greasy to wet and freezing cold. The front bolster and dropped heel prevent the hand from slipping in either direction, and grips are wide enough to grab and twist without strain. Each knife is individually balanced when the anti-bacterial grip is added. Better balance and easier handling translate into fewer fatigue problems for those who use knives for many hours daily.
The set’s six knives include a meat slicing knife, cook’s knife, and offset sandwich knife plus three essential smaller knife styles with paring, boning, and utility blades. The diamond sharpening steel should only be used on the plain-edged knives in the set. A soft-sided carrying case provides room for this NSF-certified basic knife set and a few more essential items of your choice.
For an equally practical basic knife set for the traveling chef, see the Mundial MundiGrip 7-Piece Set featuring a more advanced grip design.
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.
The Diamond Edge Pro knife and scissors sharpener from Smith Abrasives combines electric and manual sharpening systems for quick and accurate refurbishing of knives...
This professional 8-Piece Chef’s Set from Mundial of Brazil has some genuine advantages when compared to top quality cutlery from other manufacturers. These practical knives flex rather than break, sharpen easily, and aren’t expensive to replace if someone else “borrows” one of your good knives.
