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.
Spyderco Chokwe Knife w/ Chris Reeve Lock | Blade Magazine 2009 Manufacturing Quality Winner, Benefits “Keep A Child Alive”
1 min read
The Spyderco Chokwe G-10 Titanium knife includes an important locking system from the Chris Reeve product line. Chris Reeve Knives won the 2009 Blade Magazine Manufacturing Quality Award for such excellent innovations as the R.I.L. or Reeve Integral Lock used in the Spyderco Chokwe.
One of Spyderco’s modern folder designs taken from traditional knife patterns, the Spyderco Chokwe resembles a fixed blade common among the Chokwe people of the Congo in Central Africa. The coffin-shaped handle and triangular blade are an efficient combination which translates well to Spyderco’s folding clip technology. The knife’s action is enhanced by the Chris Reeve R.I.L. liner lock, giving the Chokwe folder unusual lock strength and easy one-handed opening. Simply press on the liner lock tab, recessed in the handle, to release the blade. Gripping the knife for heavy work won’t release the lock.
Two holes in the Chokwe handle allow the knife to be securely lashed to a pole for use as a survival spear. The holes also reduce weight and add traction to the knife’s already secure grip. One scale of the handle is tactile G-10 over a strong stainless steel liner, while the other half of the handle is solid titanium and also serves as the spring bar of the lock. The 3-3/4-inch CPM-S30V blade is flat ground for extra strength and features the traditional plain edge. Folded length of the 3.7 ounce Chokwe is 4-3/4 inches. The Chokwe is configured only for tip down and right-handed carry.
Spyderco pledged to donate five percent of the revenue from Chokwe sales to the Keep A Child Alive organization, a relief effort for children and families in Africa and other third world nations.
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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The Spyderco Chokwe G-10 Titanium knife includes an important locking system from the Chris Reeve product line. Chris Reeve Knives won the 2009 Blade Magazine Manufacturing Quality Award for such excellent innovations as the R.I.L. or Reeve Integral Lock used in the Spyderco Chokwe.
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