Photography by Travis Bell & Lucas Scarfone
Jesse James just wants to build cool shit. His words, not ours.
From his shop in Dripping Springs, Texas, the father of four and former reality TV star continues to do what he’s always done, build. Since 2013, however, he’s evolved from the motorcycles and cars that he rose to fame around to begin production of his own line of firearms and knives. Why? Because this is America, and Jesse James is an American. Of that, you can be sure.
“I think my Mission Statement is a little open ended,” says James. “I’m just like a leaf in the stream.” It sounds like something a travelling poet might say, but in context, coming from the lips of a man covered in tattoos and grease, his hands busily assembling a custom pistol forged right there on the property, it somehow fits. Because this is a man who has done much, and had much done to him.
From minor stardom and strife as a big, bad bruiser of a peewee football player, to international success as founder and CEO of West Coast Choppers, to international celebrity status as the host of the Discovery Channel’s Monster Garage, James is pretty used to seeing his name in the headlines. It’s no
doubt he’s developed a “leaf in the stream” outlook.
“I’ve always had the spotlight and it hasn’t always been positive,” he says. “When I was 11 or 12 years old my dad used to have to take my birth certificate to my football games because I was a big and mean and used to destroy other kids. He’d show it to the refs and then the refs would cut my hand pads open because parents thought I filled them with sand and stuff. I think the reporters just liked using my name as well: ‘Jesse James ejected from Friday night’s game’.”
There’s no single reason why someone like Jesse James rises to the top of an industry like motorcycle customization — it’s a convergence of contributing factors — but James attributes at least some of his success to the numerous iconic mentors he was able to gather in his corner.
“I’ve been really lucky in terms of mentors,” he says. “It’s like if I played baseball and had Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Joe DiMaggio and Jackie Robinson as my mentors.” Rather than major league sluggers, James had legendary hot rodders like John Buttera and Boyd Coddington showing him the way forward. At the beginning of his career, he worked for these professionals, soaking up the knowledge and the philosophies, but it wasn’t long before his drive lead him to move on.
“I was making like seven hundred bucks a week or something like that working at Boyd’s hot rod shop and then I was making like 15 grand a week making fenders on the side,” says James, recalling the late nights spent creating custom pieces from his mother’s garage. “But I didn’t want to quit.”
“I’ve always had the spotlight and it hasn’t always been positive,” he says. “When I was 11 or 12 years old my dad used to have to take my birth certificate to my football games because I was a big and mean and used to destroy other kids.
He did quit though, after some drama with a colleague that resulted in a singular fisticuff, and just like that, West Coast Choppers was born.
“I left Boyd’s and started my own place and was scared for like a week and a half, thinking, how am I going to pay for all this?’” he says. “I hired one dude and I just got overwhelmed with business and it’s never stopped since. Even with the transition and even when I moved to Texas, I still have projects backed up that I need to finish.”
With the newest pair of endeavours up and running, most of the current media around the renowned customizer contains images of gorgeous, intricate knives and guns. Jesse James Firearms Unlimited and Jesse James Culinary are both headquartered in Dripping Springs Texas, on the same property as West Coast Choppers.
“People have hit me up to make knives for years,” he explains. “I’m not a knife maker and my initial impression was that it’s not that difficult to make a knife, but that all changed when we started making them.” Orders from custom knives have come in from around the world, and several renowned chef’s are now using Jesse James Culinary knives in their restaurants.
As for recent headlines, the Trump gun James built late last year did spark a minor media storm. The gun in question was a bespoke JJFU Grand Master X 1911 pistol with the words “Donald J. Trump” engraved on one side and “The 45th President United States of America” on the other. It took James over a year to complete and is a shining example of the kind of intricate, bespoke craftsmanship he and his team are capable of. But beyond the political hook, the real story is the art and craftsmanship on display. The images speak for themselves.
Of course there are still vehicles on the property, including a 1949 Mercury and an upcoming SEMA build for Line-X, which James and the boys currently have under their proverbial knives.
The personalities around the shop are diverse, as are their origin stories. There is only one staff member from the state of Texas. “I make guys come and do a trial,” says James. “So they have to come and work for a week on their dime. We’ll put them up and give them a car to drive, but you come here and we’ll see what you can do for the week and then you can see what we’re about. It’s really worked out because we know right away when someone isn’t going to fit. I think it’s a work ethic. I’d rather have someone with fewer skills and more hard work because that will always overcome anything. If you’re really good but you’re lazy, that doesn’t work. It’s really easy to learn all the lingo and make it seem like you know what you’re doing but work ethic is something that you can’t teach, it has to be in your heart.”
James and his team now select customization projects based on merit, not budget.
“We’re doing three of four bikes a year and I don’t really want to do more than that,” he says. “I want to make sure every one comes out. We’re doing one for Dana White right now, another one for another Texas customer, and then one for a Goldman Sachs lawyer. And that’s about it. I just tell people to hit us up in a couple years. Before I was trying to take every single one I could and now I’ve kind of learned to focus on quality and make sure every single bike is done and dialed 100 per cent.”
This ability to slow down and focus on quality is exactly what the (relatively) new location in Texas provides.
“The shop in California got so big,” says James. “There were 200 people there at one time and it got to the point where I didn’t work anymore, I was just managing. Being able to work from home I can spend more time with my kids and with my wife. Life is good. Now I’ve got rid of everything that’s a distraction, so all I do is work.”
Which, as we’ve already established, is just fine by him.