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.



Swamp Rat Ratmandu RMD Camping & Survival Knife | Custom Drop Point Fixed Blade, Full Tang

1 min read

Still available from Swamp Rat Knife Works in 2011, the Ratmandu knife comes in a variety of handle colors but always uses the same blade style and high quality materials. You’ll be impressed by the way it cuts and by the way it feels in your hand.

Designed by Jerry Busse of Busse Combat Knife Company and produced by Swamp Rat Knife Works, the Swamp Rat Ratmandu or RMD turned out to be one of the company’s most popular designs. Built with tactical quality, the RMD’s size makes it a good match for the outdoorsman. The RMD is strong enough for tough camp chores and reliable enough to qualify as a survival blade, but it’s still compact enough to carry comfortably on the belt.

Exact measurements vary slightly from knife to knife, since the RMD is a semi-custom product. Overall length of 10-1/4 inches includes a drop point blade of 4-3/4 inches. Made from high carbon tool steel a full 3/16 inches in thickness, the knife receives a special heat treatment to increase resilience and maintain a high quality cutting edge. That edge depends on SR101 steel, not famous for corrosion resistance, so the build includes a tactical epoxy coating that seals the blade away from chemicals and weather damage.

Textured micarta handle slabs join to the knife’s full width tang with three strong steel tube rivets. The profile of the knife includes a dropped bolster and finger choil along with a grip shaped for long-term heavy use. Handle slabs for the RMD were shaped first and textured later, ensuring the most comfortable and most efficient grip. The Swamp Rat Ratmandu is not an occasional-use knife — it’s a blade meant for hard jobs and long hours.

Originally made by Becker Knife and Tool but now a Ka-Bar product, the Becker BK9 Combat Bowie offers enough blade for heavy chopping.

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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