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.
Ninja Warrior Sword w/ Shuriken Throwing Stars | 8 Piece Martial Arts Weapon Set
56 sec read
The eight piece Ninja Warrior Sword from United Cutlery makes an interesting display piece even though the nondescript black cord wrapped handle and black scabbard aren’t designed to attract attention. Though this compact weapons set isn’t combat quality steel, it’s good enough to be both functional and entertaining.
The 23-inch sword blade of 420C high carbon stainless steel shouldn’t be used for slicing targets — the temper and the quality of the steel aren’t high enough for rough use. Applied against anything substantial, the blade could bend or the edge could turn. Shorter weapons in the set are more practically useful. Two 8-1/2-inch tanto blades fit the top of the sheath alongside the sword hilt, and although the blades are crudely ground, they can certainly be improved with a whetstone. The fist load or battle weapon hidden in a pocket of the sheath doesn’t need to be fancy to be effective. Both knives and fistload could become shuriken or thrown weapons. Each requires a different throwing technique and lots of practice. Expect some damage to the blades and points if you learn.
A throwing knife fits to the point of the scabbard, turning this into a crude spear, and the hilt of the sword itself disguises two four-pointed throwing stars. Altogether, the ninja weapons set matches movie versions of ninja combat assortments better than it matches the real tools of the trade. If you’re willing to risk some minor damage to the pieces, this eight-piece set provides several types of shuriken good enough for practice, as well as a fascinating but decorative sword.
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 eight piece Ninja Warrior Sword from United Cutlery makes an interesting display piece even though the nondescript black cord wrapped handle and black scabbard aren’t designed to attract attention. Though this compact weapons set isn’t combat quality steel, it’s good enough to be both functional and entertaining.
