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 Gourmet Stainless Steel Bread Knife | Serrated Full Tang 8 or 9 Inch

1 min read

Wusthof Gourmet Stainless Steel BreadAvailable with either a 9-inch or 8-inch serrated blade, this high carbon stainless steel bread knife from Wusthof cuts bread, bagels, rolls, and fine pastries accurately and cleanly. The serrated cutting edge should last for years without sharpening, but works best if you save this knife for baked goods and use a different carving knife for meat.

Making a clean cut in home-baked bread depends on an edge able to saw through a hard crust. To do a good job, the bread knife has to handle both that dry crusty barrier and the moist soft interior without tearing or compacting the structure of the bread. Here, a combination of sharp teeth and razor edges really does work best. The Wusthof Gourmet Bread Knife also has a slimmer profile with a full tang blade laser-cut from thinner steel stock than is used in Wusthof’s forged lines. Thinner steel deforms the pastry less and cuts with less friction. Extra length helps when slicing large loaves or cakes, so definitely consider the 9-inch version — especially if you make oval French-style breads. The size of peasant loaves often varies.

This is a very handy knife, and you’ll be tempted to use it to carve meat as well as bread — but keeping the tips of the teeth away from hard objects like bones, frozen food, and glass cutting boards is the best way to keep this edge at its best. Serrated knives can’t be sharpened at home without special equipment. Where possible, work on a plastic or wooden cutting board instead of a glass or ceramic plate. On hard cutting surfaces, use the tip of the blade to make the last cut through the bottom crust.

Wusthof’s stain-free steel should be washed and dried by hand after use. Dishwashers are rough on the high polish and sharp edge — both last longer with hand washing.

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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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