Does anyone own the Spyderco Murray Carter kitchen knives?

Daniel L

Daniel L

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Nov 2, 1998
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Hi all - I have decent set of Henckels 4 star and a Kai petty knife (which honestly gets about 80% of the use) and I only recently saw the Spyderco Murray Carter series.

I like the octagonal / wa style and I prefer the stainless and plain black G10 handles of the Wakiita series.

I did a google search and couldn't find much info.

Are they good / bad / average vs other brands? I know they are priced at the upper end, but I am ok with the unique G10 handle, steel and coming from Spyderco / Carter is a big plus.

With all this COVID, I've been cooking practically everyday - my Kai petty is a little small for some tasks, and the 8" Henckels Chef's knife is a little large and heavy in other cases. I'm considering the 7.29" Nakiri (short cleaver) and/or the 6.28" Funayaki. Not interested in the gyuto or the 7.75" Bunko Bocho at this point. Basically looking for a general purpose knife for meat and vege.

Thoughts?
 
I've been using the funayaki for the past several months and have been very happy with it. The handle is very comfortable and easy to index in several positions. The slim blade profile performs very well, though it was relatively dull on arrival.
 
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At the moment I'm leaning for the nakiri... I grew up in a Chinese restaurant using a cleaver style as the all purpose would be fine. I do a lot more vege prep than meat work.

The funayaki looks very tempting too... I realised I am missing a knife in the 6"-7" range (was damaged and never replaced it.)

For all the comments I've seen on the prices... I have fixed blades and folders that cost as much (or more) that hardly get used. So for something lthat will get used a lot and last me 20 years, it's a good investment!
 
Gail and I have been using them since first protos were made. There will be 3 variations at different price points. They cut very well. We use a Galley V to maintain the edge.

sal
 
I have the Itamae Gyuto and I really, really like it. Thin behind the edge, with a great blade shape and the Super Blue steel is very easy for me to get ridiculously sharp. The fit and finish is phenomenal.

They're definitely a little bit spendier than I normally spend on kitchen knives, but you get what you pay for. I (and many others here) have no problem dropping a $200 - $300 on a nice pocket knife that will only be carried a couple of times a month, so I figured why not spend a bit more than that on a knife that I'll likely use every couple of days in the kitchen. It's my second most used kitchen knife (most used is a custom paring knife) and I have zero regrets picking one up.

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And with another one of my favorites in the kitchen Zwilling/Kramer Santoku in 52100. Both have a whole lot more patina these days.
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I wish they had gone HAP40 instead of Super Blue for the top tier models; it’s really just a good quality carbon steel, which is fine but isn’t special. HAP40 in kitchen knives can be run up at 66-67 HRC and can be ground just as thinly as Super Blue and is a really awesome performer, I use my Endura in HAP40 frequently in the kitchen.
 
My go-to knives in the kitchen have been a full-sized chef's knife of unknown brand given to me by Paul Lin many years ago, a custom Chinese cleaver made by "Chu Ben," a Damascus three-knife set from Shun, and Spyderco's serrated utility knives. Since the Murray Carter knives came out, I often find myself grabbing them instead of the others. My favorites are the Funayuki and Nakiri. If you're used to using a light cleaver for vegetable prep, slicing, dicing, etc. the Nakiri will feel comfortable right off the bat. It's narrower than a cleaver, so it takes a little adjustment when bracing against the knuckles of the hand holding the food (you can't raise it as high), but it offers excellent control. The Funayuki's point and its Carter Elbow/kiritsuke profile make it very usable for stemming tomatoes and similar tasks, as well as standard slicing and prep work. I also like it as a carving knife.

Stay safe,

Mike
 
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The common answer in these forums when choosing between 2 knives is "buy both" hahaha
I have a feeling that's going to happen anyway.

I realise the lesser expensive model is going to be released soon too, with the "plastic" handles. I admit I'm a sucker for G10 though!
 
Michael Janich is in the house? Cool!!

A 1st over here (vs the Spyderco Forums) as far as I know.

Welcome to the Blade Forums!! :)
 
Hey, sgt1372:

I've actually been a BladeForums member since 2002. I lurk a lot, but just don't post here much... Thanks very much for the welcome, though!!!

Stay safe,

Mike
 
Michael Janich said:
Hey, sgt1372:

I've actually been a BladeForums member since 2002. I lurk a lot, but just don't post here much... Thanks very much for the welcome, though!!!

Stay safe,

Mike
Click to expand...

That's what I figured . . . but I hope you start to make your presence better known here.

I'm sure your that contribution (in addtional to Sal's) will be invaluable to the avid Spyderco owners/users here (like me) who do not frequent the Spyderco Forums (for whatever reason) all that often.

Best wishes!
 
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