Murray Carter in December's Byte!

[Stuart Ackerman]

Lovely stuff there...spoilt for choice, we are!

[Dazen]

Decisions, decisions...which series and how many to get!?

[Dodge]

I’m excited for the apprentice series!

[Doeswhateveraspidercan]

While I can appreciate the design and the idea of getting more of Murray Carter designs out to more people via Spyderco’s superior manufacturing capability I find myself asking this question and not to be contrary either.

I look at these beautiful designs and think wow great but is is it truly a Murray Carter? after all there is much more to his work than just a design.

Their is the rich history of his lineage from Japan, the hand forging, Handed down over the years and a Westerner to boot, the choice of steel he uses and the spirit of the one forging raw materials into a knife that are not present in a mass produced environment.

So when I consider all these things I say to myself at this price point why not just save and buy one directly from Mr. Carter?

Honestly can’t see me buying either from MrCarter or Spyderco. The price points are just to high for a guy that just bought a Jumpmaster 2 for use in the Kitchen primarily specifically for spatchcocking turkeys and chickens after seeing how well a pacific salt2 SE was easily able to remove the spine from a 15 pound turkey.

Some here don’t get it but many do I remember seeing all the spyderco folders come out for the Thanksgiving holiday-posed with their turkeys.

Anyhow sold all my fixed blades so it is time to put one back in the kitchen.

I like different steels for different reasons mostly because each steel does cut differently especially when the grind is taken into consideration.

When I look at these Murray Carter designs I think good very good for a professional chef. I do alright in the kitchen but honestly I like using cooking as an excuse to use my different Spyderco’s and gain a deeper appreciation for the many blades I already purchased for the sake of experiencing their unique qualities.

If I am not careful I will talk myself into buying one of these Spyderco / Carter collaborations. Then I will have to find a sheath.

Strange how these do not have a sheath, can’t remember the Japanese name for it but I have seen them for sale on chefsknivestogo.

Well that’s enough rambling for now.

[araneae]

So when I consider all these things I say to myself at this price point why not just save and buy one directly from Mr. Carter?

You could basically say the same about every collaboration model using that logic. The Spyderco Carters appear about half the price of a Carter made knife and for many people its worth saving over $200 to try a Carter knife out. I won't be buying them either, but it's because they are way outside my price range.

[Albatross]

So when I consider all these things I say to myself at this price point why not just save and buy one directly from Mr. Carter?

You could basically say the same about every collaboration model using that logic. The Spyderco Carters appear about half the price of a Carter made knife and for many people its worth saving over $200 to try a Carter knife out. I won't be buying them either, but it's because they are way outside my price range.

Very true. For those who can afford the real deal, that's great and I'm sure you'll enjoy them immensely. For those who can't, that's okay too. The collaboration models offer a glimpse into the custom world, by offering high quality designs at bargain prices. Sometimes it stops at a collaboration purchase, sometimes that leads to buying a custom down the road. Either way, it's cool to see these collabs.

[fixall]

I absolutely love my Spyderco/Murray Gyuto and I am very pleased that Spyderco has brought some higher end kitchen knives to the market! They are ground very thin and have great ergonomics which is a recipe for success in my kitchen. When I saw the pictures, I was concerned the handles would be a little thick for my liking, but they turned out perfect and are beautifully done.

Super Blue steel isn't exactly easy to find and with Spyderco's renown heat treat, I found the Gyuto to be very reasonably priced compared to a lot of the offerings on the market... And after finding one on sale for $320, it was actually very competitively priced. No regrets whatsoever here and it's probably my knife of the year for 2019.

Tonight we're going for a little east meets west, using the Gyuto to make a pot roast in the Instant Pot the wife got for Christmas.

[BornIn1500]

I look at these beautiful designs and think wow great but is is it truly a Murray Carter?

Is the South Fork, Sprig, or Bow River truly a Phil Wilson? Is the Paysan truly a Peter Rassenti? Is the Drunken truly a Dmitry Sinkevich?

I don't think people are buying them while thinking they are the equivalent of the custom. But it gets you close and at a cheaper price.