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 or Cook’s Knife 5610-8 | Full Tang 8 Inch Blade w/ Antibacterial Handle
1 min read
Whether you cook professionally or at home, you should find the Mundial 8-inch Cook’s Knife to be plenty of knife for nearly every ordinary prep job. Save larger knives for the bigger jobs, and save your hands with this one. If you do much prep work, you’ll definitely notice the difference.
Mundial makes the 8-inch Cook’s Knife to meet the same standards as the company’s larger 10-inch model. The cold rolled high carbon stainless steel of the stamped blade has been hardened to the same tough temper — designed to hold an edge without chipping. The tough blade will flex under stress instead of breaking (like some more expensive but more fragile chef’s knives). Sharpening the 8-inch knife at home is easily done with nothing more than a honing steel to reset the edge. When the edge does need reshaping, an ordinary whetstone does the job.
Mundial’s handle grip of polypropylene includes a shaped front bolster and a dropped heel plus a tactile surface that doesn’t slip even when wet. Each knife is individually balanced as the poly handles are molded over the knife’s full tang, making this a very comfortable and safe knife to use if your work lasts for long hours. In the home kitchen, the fatigue issue may not be so obvious, but it’s still an important feature to consider.
The anti-bacterial compounds embedded in the poly handle offer another important professional feature — built-in sanitation. Yeasts, molds, and bacteria won’t get a start here — the knives meet the NSF’s professional food service standards.
For a slightly different style of chef’s knife in the same range of quality and price, see the Forschner 8-inch Chef’s Knife.
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...
Whether you cook professionally or at home, you should find the Mundial 8-inch Cook’s Knife to be plenty of knife for nearly every ordinary prep job. Save larger knives for the bigger jobs, and save your hands with this one. If you do much prep work, you’ll definitely notice the difference.
