Curiosity is getting the better of me so I have to ask who is buying Murray Carter Spyderco (or Murray Carter in general)?
Obviously it isn't for the average household given the high price tag.
So who buys this expensive cutlery? Professional chefs and those in the culinary industry???, home culinary enthusiasts???? Do knife junkies and collectors cross this line? Is it status minded individuals... or?
How big of a following does this brand have and who is buying it? (I don't believe I know anyone that has one ). Is it any better or is it just designer/boutique goods?
I’d like to get a few eventually but I know the cost is high so I haven’t even begun to look into them. I also heard you can’t get them from the regular vendors but I’m not sure if this is true. I haven’t searched for them but also haven’t stumbled across them for sale either.
So I've visited the web page and did a little YouTubing after I posted and I am getting a better picture of Murray Carter knives. Cool stuff actually! Think I must try one (yes I'll be stretching my comfortable spending limits), much happy to support small business and craftsmanship and artistry.
I'm a professional chef but haven't bought any. I've thought about some more Spyderco chef knives, but I'm currently getting by well with a 10" victorinox and a SE zcut.
I have the Gyuto and Nakiri in Super Blue. They are two of the most used knives in our kitchen and I am a big fan of them. Super Blue is a favorite steel of mine in the kitchen. It doesn’t hold an edge all that long, but boy does it get sharp!!!
Neither my wife, nor I, are chefs by any means, but both of us each spent about a decade working in kitchens/restaurants earlier in our lives. We both love to cook. We both really enjoy nice kitchen knives and have several Zwilling/Kramer’s and customs along with the Spyderco/Carters. I have a knife collection of around 300 or so, while my wife has about 25 or 30…. So I guess we would kind of fall under the “all of the above” category. Except status. I couldn’t care less about that. No one who comes to our house has any idea what our kitchen knives cost, and I usually hide the nice stuff when people are going to be using our cutlery.
As far as how good they are…. They are excellent. Very comfortable, very well done G10 handles that are super durable. A blade that is thin behind the edge, with fantastic cutting geometry and a superb heat treat…. And of course the famous Carter Elbow.
As much as I take my pocket knives seriously, I half way just don't care about kitchen knives. Isn't that weird? I have a Spyderco Santoku and it's plenty for our kitchen prep.
I haven’t really looked but on reading this thread I had a sneak peak…..
I have one knife in the kitchen that would get me 3 Spyderco Murray Carter knives…
Being a ex butcher I have always advised people never to get a knife set but just buy two or three knives you will use and get pleasure out of using.
I have three custom made kitchen knives (from 3 different makers) that I treat like priceless artefacts but enjoy using.
(Still hack into anything with my butchers knives and treat them like they can be replaced tomorrow which they can….)
Get one good knife for the kitchen is my advice to anyone on the edge…
Last edited by standy99 on Thu Jun 16, 2022 2:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
Im a vegetarian as technically cows are made of grass and water.
As much as I take my pocket knives seriously, I half way just don't care about kitchen knives. Isn't that weird? I have a Spyderco Santoku and it's plenty for our kitchen prep.
Not really? I'm the same. We have my wife's wusthof Santoku, and that's the only higher priced kitchen knife we own. It's great, but I like using the old hickory knives her parents gave us. They were rusted and neglected, so I cleaned them and sharpened them and I love them. Also have some other cheap Sam's club foodservice santokus... Theyre a bit thick on the blade stock, but they work.
Maybe I'll get a nice kitchen knife one day, but what we have works, so I don't really see a point...while I agonize over whether to get a stretch 2 xl or a K390 stretch... Lol
Kitchen knives are perhaps even more task specific or purpose driven than most of my folders. For me, blade and handle design conformation, grind and thickness are probably more important to me than the steel. The one exception for me may be the aggression from my 10" Boye chefs for silver skin & some proteins. Otherwise, old carbon steel Sabatiers do just fine. Type of cuisine may be an important determinant of blade shape and style even more so than the actual steel composition. Still use carbon steel Henckels and Gustav Emil Ern knives, too. About the only time I avoid carbon steel is when slicing apples.....browns them too easily. Those Murray Carters look mighty fine, tho. We foodies are so spoiled these days.
I have the BD1N Bunka, Funayuki, and Petty. Definitely just a knife enthusiast, not a professional chef. I really enjoy using them. Cost was steep but to be honest I use them as much as any of my other knives, maybe even more. I really love the octagonal wa style handles, and they have beautifully thin edge geometry.
Because desolate places allow us to breathe. And most people don't even know they're out of breath.
I looked at 3 or 4 of them at SMKW while on vacation, beautiful, and they feel great in hand, definitely a little pricey! I have 4 different Shun knives in my kitchen, they’re all I’ll ever need although I have been talking to a guy about making me a custom….
You may consider posting the question on Kitchen Knife Forums. Folks there really know their kitchen knives and might have specific feedback and/or suggestions for what you want.
Kitchen knives are perhaps even more task specific or purpose driven than most of my folders. For me, blade and handle design conformation, grind and thickness are probably more important to me than the steel. The one exception for me may be the aggression from my 10" Boye chefs for silver skin & some proteins. Otherwise, old carbon steel Sabatiers do just fine. Type of cuisine may be an important determinant of blade shape and style even more so than the actual steel composition. Still use carbon steel Henckels and Gustav Emil Ern knives, too. About the only time I avoid carbon steel is when slicing apples.....browns them too easily. Those Murray Carters look mighty fine, tho. We foodies are so spoiled these days.
Agree with Skeeg11. I value handle and knife shape more than the steel. I don't mind dropping extra money on a kitchen knife, but I prefer one that is comfortable with a pinch grip like the Victorinox or the Misono UX series. I'd have to hold the Murray Carters to see if they were comfortable. There isn't really a transition between the handle and blade.
I am curious about them, but not enough to take the plunge as the price is basically on the level of forged Japanese kitchen knives that have geometry closer to what I tend to prefer.
I'm torn between a Spyderco (because Spyderco) and buying from one of the renown Japanese hand made kitchen knives in super blue, hap40 etc. I've heard that the Spyderco collaboration is a bit thicker than your average high end Japanese kitchen knife
I got bought the Bunka Bocho(SP?) and Nakiri for a significant birthday. As a gift they were one of the best things I have received in years.
Worth every penny once you start slicing. I can’t use words well enough to express what a delight they are. I am not rich and don’t have a fancy car or watch (no interest) but as a Spyderco fan I love owning these superb knives.
It's just for people who want a quality japanese knife. The prices are not higher than the competition- it's just harder to find these for MAP but you can. I enjoy cooking, knives, and spyderco so I bought one. In my experience having a knife you think is cool will make you look forward to cooking more. Which makes you more healthy. Personally, I make 100x more cuts with my chef knives than with my folders. If you look into it, you can spend a lot more on japanese knives, just like you can spend a lot more on a folder than with Spyderco.
). Is it any better or is it just designer/boutique goods?
Spyderco : Resilience, Tenacious, Persistence, Manix 2 G10, Para 3 G10, Para 3 LW, Paramilitary 2, 
, Watu, PM2 Crucarta, Shaman, Caribbean, SpydieChef, Ikuchi, Chaparral, Manix 2, Native 5, Siren, Delica 4, Kapara, Manix 2 Maxamet, Raven 2
...
