JT Hats
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.



Commando Wire Bone Saw | Survival Blade Metal Cutter

1 min read

Commando Wire Bone Saw The Commando Wire Saw claims the ability to cut through a variety of materials including wood, plastic, bamboo, and bone. A Special Forces sergeant introduced me to the wire saw in jungle survival training in 1970 and said he always kept one in his pocket in case he needed to clear a landing zone.

Fortunately, I didn’t make the wire saw the cornerstone of my personal survival kit, because years later when I tried one out, I discovered the sergeant was just kidding. The 48-kilogram breaking strength of the Commando Wire Saw seems like it ought to be enough to handle tough jobs, but sloppy technique snaps the saw easily. Don’t buy just one; buy three and expect to break one in training. Use one if you have to, and keep a spare in the kit.

Bur teeth on the short length of steel wire cut best if you keep the saw straight. The most tempting approach, throwing one end over a branch and see-sawing your way through, places too much saw blade on the wood and quickly snaps the wire. Breaking strength drops dramatically when you put some sweat into it and heat the blade up. The steel ring handles are murder on the fingers, so keep your expectations small. The Commando Wire Saw might be a real lifesaver in some situation I haven’t found yet, but it’s more likely to be an interesting curiosity that makes you appreciate your camp axe and Bowie knife much more. It’s still a great gift for the younger survivalist in the family who will believe nearly anything, and you can all laugh about it later.

For a real survival saw built on the same idea, see the Ultimate Survival Technologies SaberCut Saw.

Find this Commando Wire Saw:

JT Hats
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.



Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pack | Cody Lundin…

Designed by Doug Ritter of “Equipped to Survive,” the Adventure Medical Kits Pocket Survival Pak earned positive reviews from survival instructor Cody Lundin and...
JT Hats
1 min read

Buck X-Tract Multi-tool, One Handed | Lockback Combo Edge…

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...
JT Hats
1 min read

Cold Steel Trail Hawk Camp Hand Axe | Tomahawk…

Possibly many of today’s backwoodsmen are a little embarrassed to carry a tomahawk, but I wouldn’t think of leaving mine at home. In camp,...
JT Hats
59 sec read