murray carter knives?

pimpnugget

pimpnugget

Joined
Mar 10, 2008
Messages
886
hey guys and gals i have been looking at getting a knife from murray carter
i just wanted to know if anyone has any experince with his knives and
how are they
do they hold a good edge
how are the handles
how is the sheath made etc.
 
Murray Carter mainly works on kitchen cutlery, doesn't he? I've heard good things about his work, and he uses a lot of Japanese steels. However, I just can't see myself spending so much on a working knife.
 
He's an American who is a Japanese knifemaker. I consider him a legend. Excellent work.
 
thanks guys i know his story i just wanted to knoe about some of his neck knives and outher blade
 
pimp....i have had and own still alot of his blades....i think his knives work great and are great users but for the price they are now...u can do better i think....u lookin at a neck knife?....ryan
 
ryan9977 said:
pimp....i have had and own still alot of his blades....i think his knives work great and are great users but for the price they are now...u can do better i think....u lookin at a neck knife?....ryan
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not realy just at his knives in general
 
I have 5 Murray Carter knives: two neck knives, one of his Whitecrane fighter/utilities, and two kitchen knives. I have to say that they are my favorite knives because of the cutting performance - his thin geometry coupled with the high-rockwell Japanese carbon steel makes these real cutters. Recently, I sold off a bunch of other knives to buy the second necker.

We met when I asked him to make me a knife for a 3000-mile hike I was planning, and we've became friends since. Great guy, great knives.

My two neckers:
IMGP2851.jpg


190brutecrack.jpg



My Whitecrane:
whitecranebocote.jpg


ETA:
HANLDES: The handle ergos are what initially drew me to his knives when I handled them at the 2005 Oregon knife show.

EDGE RETENTION: The edge retention is pretty good, not like Dozier D2 but on par with other premium carbon steel knives with a good heat treat. For HRC63-65, it is remarkably easy to sharpen and touch-up. My Carters are among my easiest edges to maintain. The steel seems, for lack of better terms, "silky", fine-grained, and hard, and the edge seems simultaneously toothy and polished.

SHEATHS: I only have his kydex. It is slim and unobtrusive, with good retention and release. Frankly, it is some of my favorite kydex next to JeffH (hobbyist kydex and knifemaker here). I wish Murray was interested in doing aftermarket sheaths, but I suspect that in a one-man shop this is not really a profitable way to spend 20-30 minutes. As far as leather, his wife does most of the leather and it is beefy and carefully finished.
 
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Esav Benyamin said:
He's an American who is a Japanese knifemaker. I consider him a legend. Excellent work.
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;) He's not an American quite yet! Murray is a Canadian who has recently moved to the U.S. after living and forging in Japan for almost 20 years.
 
For the last 6 or 7 years I've used Murray's Original Models for work and I definately favor the Blue Super Steel. It has shown itself to be hard, resistant to chipping and easily sharpened. I usually just strop the blade on a fine stone and the edge pops back up. The knives are spendy now at almost 4 billls but I like the sheath, the size and feel of the knife and it holds up better than anything else I have used. The Super Steel knives have been consistent from blade to blade offering similar performance. I used to wear a knife out about every year or two, these are giving me 4 to 5. I'd like to see somebody do a comparison test on them to see if there is anything better. I will not use a folder for work (you have to stand up to get them) so I focus on smaller fixed blades.
I tried a Dozer for work in D2 and it chipped so badly I sharpened it and got rid of it... I have a pretty long list.
I do have to wonder what Murray's knives would be like if it was possible to "friction forge them". :)
 
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pierced said:
For the last 6 or 7 years I've used Murray's Original Models for work and I definately favor the Blue Super Steel. It has shown itself to be hard, resistant to chipping and easily sharpened. I usually just strop the blade on a fine stone and the edge pops back up. The knives are spendy now at almost 4 billls but I like the sheath, the size and feel of the knife and it holds up better than anything else I have used. The Super Steel knives have been consistent from blade to blade offering the same performance. I used to wear a knife out about every year or two, these are giving me 4 to 5. I'd like to see somebody do a comparison test on them but in the absence of anything better I'm hooked. I will not use a folder for work (You don't have to stand up to use them) so I focus on smaller fixed blades.
I tried a Dozer for work in D2 and it chipped so badly I sharpened it and got rid of it... I have a pretty long list.
I do have to wonder what Murray's knives would be like if it was possible to "friction forge them". :)
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8000 grit Japanese waterstone?
 
I have only his kitchen knives but they are superb. He really focuses hard on producing a blade that is extraordinarily sharp and can be maintained at that level. If I didn't already have so darn many hunting and outdoor knives, I'd buy a few of those from him without hesitation.

DancesWithKnives
 
I've never used more than 325 grit on his knifes and usually I strop with my fine stone which I think is around 450. I've polished the edge to 6000 grit but for me I like to have a little bit of bite from the "coarser" 450 grit stone, and that with about an 18 degree angle.
Carter's slogan "scarey sharp" is true. I gave the knife I was using to a friend for helping me with new construction. He cut the piss out of his hand because it sliced too quickly through a box.:p

"slicing edge"? I work service and construction so I don't need scalpel-like performance. I've found this edge better suits my use for trimming copper, cutting fiberboard, ductwork, wire sheathing and roofing materials, heck, I've even used it to pry with on occasion. Now there's a test for any knife... how big a hole can you cut in Ductboard (Fiberboard) before the knife goes dull? Let me know.
 
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Yeah, I've heard about "the bite" but haven't really experienced a nice, slicing edge when it's got all those teeth. Guess I've got a lot to learn in terms of sharpening.
 
Except for the fact that I was originally drawn to the knives by their keen edge (for him it was the handle ergos - which are just fine), I'm with "Tradja" above and have the necker he does (in the second picture). I think they're on the expensive side, but one's all you need. I also think MC puts up "seconds" on his site now-and-then, which can save you some bucks without lessening the knife's performance.

I paid full price and I'd buy mine again. It's a keeper and a user.
 
If you use a knife everyday for work it gets accelerated wear. The knives that lasted a year were the commercially available specimens from most all manufacturers. I have two Murray knifes held aside that will absolutely last far longer than I will because they are for my personal use.
 
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