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.


Wusthof Classic Starter Prep Knife Set, 3 Piece | Includes Chef’s, Carving & Paring Knife

1 min read

Wusthof Classic Starter Prep Knife Set,The Wusthof Classic 3 Piece Starter Cutlery Set equips the beginning chef with three essential prep knives which will literally last a lifetime. This selection also makes a great upgrade for those who started out with less.

All three knives from Wusthof’s Classic series feature forged solid steel bolsters and full length tangs. The high carbon stainless steel blades are taper ground for an efficient slicing cut, and the handles are the familiar ergonomic grips the company has produced for decades. Durable composite handle slabs fixed in place with stainless steel rivets hold no surprises. Edge maintenance is designed to be simple — the temper allows quick resetting of edges with a simple honing steel, and ordinary whetstones handle any major refurbishing.

If these are your first good knives, expect to add to the set but never to place these three aside unused. Sized to be useful and practical, the set will always come in handy. Full-sized versions of the carving and chef’s knives would be a logical next step, since the short blade length is the set’s real limitation. If you’re looking for a fundamental assortment that’s built to last, Wusthof’s Classic Starter set will do many decades worth of paring and trimming of produce, boning and slicing of cooked meat, and chopping and slicing of most fruits and vegetables. There’s a way to do nearly every type of work with these three blades.

With so many types of good cutlery available today, it still makes sense to start small with a set you know you’ll need and use. The Wusthof Classic brand isn’t flashy — this is a common sense set that’s been well tested. Wusthof also offers the same knives in a four-piece set with a sharpening steel.

Find this Wusthof Classic Starter Set:

Find this knife set on eBay:

[phpbay]Wusthof Classic Starter Set, 2[/phpbay]

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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