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.



Shun Premier Paring Knife | Kitchen Cutlery Award Winner, Hand Forged 4 Inch

1 min read

Shun Premier Paring Knife If you like hand-forged knives, the Shun Premier 4-Inch Paring Knife will catch your eye and work better than most custom forged knives. Still using the best of Shun’s high-tech methods, the Premier series added a hand-hammered tsuchime finish to the blade and won Blade Magazine’s award for 2010 Kitchen Knife of the Year.

This is quality and efficiency you’re not likely to see in many paring knives. Since the paring knife is one of the styles chefs use the most, it’s a good choice for one of your best knives instead of your cheapest. Common prep chores like removing flaws and peeling produce will take on a new feeling with this classy prep knife. Shun’s 33-layer Damascus-type steel gives the paring knife strength and flexibility but with a cutting edge much thinner than the blades of European and American knives. That means easier cutting, and when combined with the low-friction ripple effect of the high carbon stainless steel layering, the knife requires very little effort to use. The beautiful dimpled steel of the main body of the blade reduces friction even more. SG-10 stainless steel as the core layer gives the knife a long-lasting razor edge, but sharpens easily.

Shun’s Classic series featured tapered black handles with a D-shape — functional but unfamiliar to western chefs. The Premier series followed advice from popular German Chef Tim Malzer, redesigning the handle with a grip of walnut-type Pakkawood most Americans and Europeans will find easy to understand and comfortable to use.

Visit the Shun Classic Paring Knife to see the Shun paring knife in its original style.

Find this Shun Premier Paring Knife:

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.



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