Carter cutlery opinions

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Slk707

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Hello I am new to this community and to the community of Japanese knives and I came across Murray carter and his knives and wanted to get an opinion on his work and how it holds up against other knives especially for the price
 
Welcome! Murray makes very high quality knives. Be aware that not all of his knives are made by him...p)specifically the Muteki line.
 
He has some interesting profiles. Never used one but to me they look well made. Not sure I'd drop the coin on anything made by his apprentices tho
 
I have several Mutekis and two actual "Carters", one and International Pro and the other his Perfect Kitchen style. I would buy any of them again in a minute including the apprentice Mutekis. Little difference that I can find in the Muteki and actual Carter except for material and fit and finish.
 
The funayuki profiles in particular I like, but
Carter's name/price point are not cheap.
 
HRC_64 said:
The funayuki profiles in particular I like, but
Carter's name/price point are not cheap.
Click to expand...
+1 !

And as a Canadian I have an urge to try his stuff as he may be the most well known Canadian-born kitchen knife maker out there.
 
I have a kurouchi knife which he forges himself and like it a lot. I payed less (som kind of temporary discount the had about 3 years ago). His knives are unique with an excellent HT but do come at a very high price given the blade finish. I had a Muteki once, but did nit warm up to the stainless cladding and a blade that would have needed bit too much thinning for my taste + they are forged from pre-clad stock (though that is pretty much the rule with stainless clad knives). If I were to buy a Carter again it would again be a kurouchi funayuki.
 
I've used a lot of them over the years though most were made back when he was still in Japan. One paring knife sees use everyday in my kitchen and is maybe 20-25% sharpened away. Prices are way higher than when I started buying them but they are all still very good knives.
 
My first high end knife was a Carter gyuto and a petty. I would buy them both again awesome craftsmanship, some don’t like his grind but they are great.
 
chinacats said:
Welcome! Murray makes very high quality knives. Be aware that not all of his knives are made by him...p)specifically the Muteki line.
Click to expand...

This is true. However I can tell you that having spent 9 days in his shop learning, Murray is very detail oriented and looks at everything.
Meaning Murray inspects/looks at every knife that comes out of his shop. Murray is there working every day in a small shop and in the midst of everything constantly providing guidance and making decisions.

I'm a fan and he's also one of my teachers. In general IMO his knives pass through food easier than others I have tried,

this is me and Murray - https://instagram.com/p/BDWbmFgEtxf/

regards

Harbeer
 
Just got a new one for my birthday from the wife, 278mm inter pro, have to say it's awesome, great performance and fit and finish. Also might be the sharpest out of box knife I have ever got, always a bonus.
 
That one smith Alex that does some muteki work has been putting out really nice looking stuff. I particularly like the knife marc4pt0 picked up.
 
I find his work to be too lazzerish for my taste, but he is undoubtedly a very talented smith.
 
I like my Carters. It’s tough to speak to value, since I got mine years ago before the prices rose. But they're fun to use and food release is good.
From my experience, his HT of White is solid—nice edge retention, not prone to chipping.

Is his still laminating KU himself? (The older knives indicated this with an “H” stamp; the “W” stamp IIRC was pre-laminated White.)

I agree that some of Alex’s work looks cool. Decent pricepoint, too…
 
I actually think that if you get the right profile and steel from him, these are undervalued from a performance perspective. Value seems high, but I feel now most of the makers are coming up to his price points. His profiles vary quite a bit so once I found the one that worked for me it raised the bar again. I have a High Grade and a Damascus he made 7-10 years ago, with his old stamp.
 
His grind is super even, but he leaves a pretty rough finish. Also, his custom handles aren't always perfect, as far as fitment, even sizing. But they are performers, like no other.
 
Bought a little 142mm Carter off BST years ago with no handle. Put on a African blackwood octagon with spalted Hawaiian signature wood collar. Damaged it once taking seed out of a avocado. Always on my magblock gets used a lot, my better half likes it too small lite & falls through food.
 
daddy yo yo said:
I have a smallish Carter knife, 171mm wa-bocho from his Muteki line. What a sweet little knife! :viking:
Click to expand...

This is mine (pic from Carter):
http://rs866.pbsrc.com/albums/ab223/daddy_yo_yo/IMG_7212_zpsh0xewvko.png?w=480&h=480&fit=clip
IMG_7212_zpsh0xewvko.png


Made by Jamison, stainless clad. Sweet little cutter!

As for his profiles, I think he sells whatever profile a knife has. Each knife looks different to me. Whether that is good or bad, this is up to the potential buyer to decide. Once a profile pleases you, pull the trigger and you will have a great knife. One day I want to try a HG-series from him...
 
Actually one of the things that I like about Carter knives is that every one is different - profile, thickness, blade height, handle materials, etc. For them it is easier not to make knives based on certain templates and the user gets a bit #one of a kind' feel. Here and there some designs do not make all that much sense to me, but for somebody else those could be just what was desired.
 
daddy yo yo said:
This is mine (pic from Carter):
http://rs866.pbsrc.com/albums/ab223/daddy_yo_yo/IMG_7212_zpsh0xewvko.png?w=480&h=480&fit=clip
IMG_7212_zpsh0xewvko.png


Made by Jamison, stainless clad. Sweet little cutter!

As for his profiles, I think he sells whatever profile a knife has. Each knife looks different to me. Whether that is good or bad, this is up to the potential buyer to decide. Once a profile pleases you, pull the trigger and you will have a great knife. One day I want to try a HG-series from him...
Click to expand...
Another try:

http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab223/daddy_yo_yo/IMG_7212_zpsh0xewvko.png

<a href="http://s866.photobucket.com/user/daddy_yo_yo/media/IMG_7212_zpsh0xewvko.png.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab223/daddy_yo_yo/IMG_7212_zpsh0xewvko.png" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_7212_zpsh0xewvko.png"/></a>
 
I have owned a carter kurouchi fanayuki for about 2 years now and it is my go to knife at work. I absolutly love. I use it on a daily basis and even though it's carbon it's not super reactive so long as you keep it dry and it cleans up rather nicely too. Doesn't take long to bring back the edge on stones either. I will denintly buy another
 
I have had a carter 235mm gyuto (it’s a bit shorter these days) for nearly 6 years. It is in the top 3 knives I’ve ever used. Cuts amazing, the steel and HT are great, sharpens up so damn easy. Like the guys say, each one is really different but the profile on mine is awesome, similar to a KS, but a little shorter and not quite as tall. Still my go to knife. The only problem I have, is that I paid $400 for mine, now the same knife would be close to 1k!
 
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