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.
Shun KAI Kershaw Chef’s Kitchen Knife | Forged VG-10 Damascus Stainless Steel, Classic 6 Inch
59 sec read
With the six-inch Shun/KAI Chef’s Knife, expect the slick performance of a santoku but the familiar style of the standard chef’s knife. Not just for light slicing, this high quality prep knife from Shun’s Classic series has the strength for other work as well.
Forged with 33 layers of high carbon stainless steel, the Shun Classic Chef’s knife incorporates a central layer of VG-10 stainless steel for the knife’s cutting edge. Harder than the tough supportive layers that surround it, the VG-10 holds a more acute bevel than western-style kitchen knives, cutting with less effort and less maintenance than European blades. The slightly rippled surface of the Damascus-style steel sheds sliced food quickly and lessens the friction of the blade as it passes through food.
Shun’s ebony-black handle is D-shaped with a flat side for instinctive orientation in the hand. Solid stainless steel end cap and bolster join to the pakkawood without gaps, eliminating the sanitary problems of a poorly built knife. The pakkawood itself is actually many layers of birchwood, colored nearly black and injected with long-lasting stabilizing resin. Pakkawood stands up to moisture, chemicals, and heat without damage and is dishwasher safe, although proper care of this knife demands hand washing after use.
The six-inch blade (good for mincing, chopping, slicing, and many other common kitchen chores) is better designed for small hands than a full-sized chef’s knife. Because the VG-10 edge is extremely hard and could chip, don’t use this knife for heavy chopping of bones or frozen food.
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...
With the six-inch Shun/KAI Chef’s Knife, expect the slick performance of a santoku but the familiar style of the standard chef’s knife. Not just for light slicing, this high quality prep knife from Shun’s Classic series has the strength for other work as well.
