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 Gourmet Fish Fillet Knife | Lightweight 9 Inch | Stainless Steel Kitchen Cutlery
52 sec read
Much lighter than the typical forged Wusthof knife, this Wusthof Gourmet 9-Inch Fish Fillet Knife features a slender blade of razor edged and flexible laser-cut stainless steel. The high carbon blade of Wusthof’s special no-stain X50CrMoV15 alloy steel holds an edge well and is easily re-sharpened with a handheld honing steel.
The dark molded synthetic handle serves as grip, bolster, and fingerguard, seamlessly formed around a concealed rat tail tang that’s secured by one stout rivet near the base of the grip. Everything about it is simple and functional.
Wusthof’s manufacturing process eliminates many of the problems associated with stamped steel blades. Laser-cutting the knife blanks from sheets of stainless steel gives the knife its basic shape without any of the distortions and internal stresses of stamped blades. Computer controlled grinding refines and bevels the blade. Lasers measure the resulting edge and detect any microscopic deviations. The finished blades are consistent in temper and uniform in quality.
This process seems very well suited to the making of a good filet knife, where the ability to fit the shape of the bone structure yields the best fillets with the least waste. Forging a filet knife is much more complicated and expensive than the simplified process Wusthof developed, which puts a knife of better quality in your hands at a lower cost.
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...
Much lighter than the typical forged Wusthof knife, this Wusthof Gourmet 9-Inch Fish Fillet Knife features a slender blade of razor edged and flexible laser-cut stainless steel. The high carbon blade of Wusthof’s special no-stain X50CrMoV15 alloy steel holds an edge well and is easily re-sharpened with a handheld honing steel.
