# Special Carter's Are In.



## Salty dog (Jun 6, 2011)

As of now CKTG has the special Carter's in stock. At 8:00 am tomorrow I will be buying any that are left.

Just saying.


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## Lefty (Jun 6, 2011)

Gone already! Damn!!!


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## Potato42 (Jun 6, 2011)

I just visited to see what the deal was and they're sold out. I guess it's a good deal for a carter 240mm, but I'm not a fan of that handle. _Not at all._uke:


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## Lefty (Jun 6, 2011)

I am


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## Salty dog (Jun 6, 2011)

Works for me. 

After buying one I came back a few hours later surprised to see they were still in stock so I bought another. Then I figured I should issue a warning.


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## Lefty (Jun 6, 2011)

Why do you need two? Haha


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## RRLOVER (Jun 6, 2011)

450$ for a 240mm :eek2: How did I miss that:angry1:


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## UglyJoe (Jun 6, 2011)

Lefty said:


> Why do you need two? Haha


 
I'm pretty sure the only Carter Salty has is the shorter funayuki on his site - which he has always praised as being a really good knife. I don't think he had a Carter gyuto till now, and I'm betting he's planning on implementing these heavily into his rotation, and wouldn't surprise me if he was getting them for his employees to use as well, so buying more than one in his case makes a lot of sense.


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## mr drinky (Jun 6, 2011)

Salty dog said:


> Works for me.
> 
> After buying one I came back a few hours later surprised to see they were still in stock so I bought another. Then I figured I should issue a warning.



Yeah, I was monitoring them for 3-4 hours and was surprised to see them still there, but I just couldn't get another 240. 

k.


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## Avishar (Jun 6, 2011)

mr drinky said:


> Yeah, I was monitoring them for 3-4 hours and was surprised to see them still there, but I just couldn't get another 240.
> 
> k.



Same here, I even went so far as to put one in my cart! However the Modernist Cuisine drained my quota of purchases that I can't afford for a few months :|


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## Eamon Burke (Jun 6, 2011)

snap. That was quite a sale. Cheap too. Too bad the handle is gross looking. It must look different in person.


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## Lefty (Jun 6, 2011)

I like the handle. What's the issue with it?


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## Andrew H (Jun 6, 2011)

How on earth could you like that handle...


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## Lefty (Jun 6, 2011)

I dunno, I just do! Haha
It' a lot better than my Carter handle


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## AFKitchenknivesguy (Jun 6, 2011)

I really liked the handle as well. Especially when you compare it to his stock handles. $450 for a 240mm Carter was a smokin deal.


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## AFKitchenknivesguy (Jun 6, 2011)

I'll bounce the question back, how could you not like the handle? Personal preferences abound.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jun 6, 2011)

Andrew H said:


> How on earth could you like that handle...


 
It's all personal preference. Just look at the Itou knives JCK can't keep in stock, as an example.

But, an ironwood handle with a black G-10 ferrule might have pleased more people.


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## heirkb (Jun 6, 2011)

I was thinking the same thing, PT. If the handle were the other way around, it would have looked nicer IMO. I don't get what that weird spacer in the middle is, though. It made it too busy for my tastes.


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## Andrew H (Jun 6, 2011)

Fair enough. Why don't I like the handle: The mircata pattern looks really weird to me, almost like really thin rope coiled around the knife. The spacer is too big and just clashes for me.

Maybe some other people like it, for me it's too busy - and not in a good way like Itou knives.


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## AFKitchenknivesguy (Jun 6, 2011)

For example, I think Itou knives are drop dead fugly. When I first got into knives, I wanted one. Glad I didn't pay the money, cause it would be the first to go, at a steep discount.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jun 6, 2011)

heirkb said:


> I was thinking the same thing, PT. If the handle were the other way around, it would have looked nicer IMO. I don't get what that weird spacer in the middle is, though. It made it too busy for my tastes.


 
On Facebook, Mark said it was Corian.


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## SpikeC (Jun 6, 2011)

I lusted after a 150 petty with a lapis lazuli handle, but it just wasn't available. I ended up with a Takeda, what's up with THAT!


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## Dave Martell (Jun 6, 2011)

The handles look to me very similar to what Mark's woodworker makes.


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## JohnnyChance (Jun 6, 2011)

Dave Martell said:


> The handles look to me very similar to what Mark's woodworker makes.


 
Unless he has gotten better, his don't seem to have as much taper and have much sharper edges.


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## Lefty (Jun 6, 2011)

The plot thickens!
I like the "parachute cord" look to the handle. Maybe it is to bring us back to the neck knives that we used to see from him. Who knows.


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## AFKitchenknivesguy (Jun 6, 2011)

If Dave is right, it certainly would explain the inexpensive price (relatively speaking). Secondary handles lowers the cost, as Murray charges crazy fees for them.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jun 6, 2011)

AFKitchenknivesguy said:


> If Dave is right, it certainly would explain the inexpensive price (relatively speaking). Secondary handles lowers the cost, as Murray charges crazy fees for them.


 
From what Mark posted on his Facebook page, Murray did the handles:

"They are not mirror finished. ... Murray basically had the green light to do whatever he wanted and he changed his mind on the finish and the handle when he went to do it."


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## AFKitchenknivesguy (Jun 6, 2011)

I need to facebook him haha.


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## Potato42 (Jun 7, 2011)

Just about any Stefan handle ever made > These handles. Of course this is my personal opinion. For the record I never liked the Itou handles either. Of course $450 for the blade alone seems to be a deal. Anyone know why Mark was selling these at such an obviously low price point? Is the quality going to be any different than normal Carter blades?


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## Eamon Burke (Jun 7, 2011)

It was a special to commemorate his 50,000th order. Not exactly a giveaway, but certainly a special treat for those who didn't just purchase a surprise clutch kit and transmission. :cry:


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## NO ChoP! (Jun 7, 2011)

Scott, did you buy one for me? I'll gladly take the martini payment plan....LOL


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## Salty dog (Jun 7, 2011)

I had you in mind.


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## Lefty (Jun 7, 2011)

Can I just have it for free? That would be nice of you...


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## echerub (Jun 7, 2011)

Hehehe... I snagged myself one of these knives because I'd been waiting for it. But - and given how this thread has been going - I haven't seen a large version of the product photo. I have only been online on my phone the last few days, and there's only so much detail I can see on this small screen. I have no idea what the visual texture is like on the handle 

Oh well. I bought it for the blade, not so much for the handle. From the small version of the photo that I could see, I was thinking flipping it around to use ironwood for the handle and the micarta for the ferrule would have been nicer. However, I figure that didn't sense cost-wise for Murray at that price for a 240.


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## tgraypots (Jun 7, 2011)

Except for the spacer, too busy for my tastes, I think the textured handle looks way cool. I like satin (matte in the pottery world) finishes vs. shiny too. A small silver spacer would have been sweet, but I'm sure it would have jacked up the price quite a bit. Looking forward to vid's and reviews.


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## Craig (Jun 7, 2011)

Potato42 said:


> I just visited to see what the deal was and they're sold out. I guess it's a good deal for a carter 240mm, but I'm not a fan of that handle. _Not at all._uke:


 
This is exactly why I didn't get one. I was totally planning on it and I got to it in time to place the order, but I just didn't like the look of the thing. It also didn't look quite as tall as I like my gyutos to be.

I guess I'll just have to make do with the Shiggy Marko's rehandling for me. One Gyuto $450+ is probably enough for a home cook like me anyway.


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## TB_London (Jun 7, 2011)

Added it to my basket but just couldn't pull the trigger, not sure if I regret not getting one....


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## echerub (Jun 7, 2011)

I finally looked at the image on a regular monitor, and I gotta say I'm okay with the handle. It's not my favorite handle ever, but I think it's alright. It certainly isn't going to keep me from using the knife in front of others


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jun 7, 2011)

echerub said:


> I finally looked at the image on a regular monitor, and I gotta say I'm okay with the handle. It's not my favorite handle ever, but I think it's alright. It certainly isn't going to keep me from using the knife in front of others


 
You could always wrap it in tape...


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## WildBoar (Jun 7, 2011)

crap, sorry I fell behind on reading the forums. Seems like a good deal for the blade, even if handle is not exactly attractive.


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## Lefty (Jun 7, 2011)

Well, it isn't exactly the handle of my dreams, but I still like it. Man you guys are hard to please


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## Potato42 (Jun 7, 2011)

Lefty said:


> Man you guys are hard to please


 
We've been spoiled by Fish, Stefan, Adam, Dave and Marko.
:notworthy: 
Wait till you see some of what Adam is currently doing too, he keeps trying to raise the bar.:headbang:


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## Lefty (Jun 7, 2011)

We're the aftermarket car-part crowd of the knife world.


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## Ratton (Jun 7, 2011)

Lefty said:


> We're the aftermarket car-part crowd of the knife world.



Truer words were never spoken!!!!!


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## echerub (Jun 9, 2011)

Wow. I have *never* had a package come across the border this quickly. My Carter just arrived! Woohoo!

The handle looks much nicer in-person than it does in the photo. It's not too busy at all. The visual texture on the micarta is quite matte and subtle unless you stick your face a few inches from the handle. Since we're talking aftermarket car parts, it has a carbon fibre look to it much more than a corded look. I think the photo really brought out the details more sharply than what you'd see in-person.

From visual inspection alone, I like the "flat-ish" edge profile. There's a gentle curvature almost all the way through, but there's a good 2-3" flat section starting about an inch from the heel.

Balances right in front of the ferrule. It feels oddly blade-heavy even though the balance point is right behind my thumb on a pinch grip. Still feels nice, though, and I'm keen to try out the knife 

Spine's been eased, but the choil hasn't. I'm gonna have to smooth things out a bit there or my middle-finger isn't gonna be too happy.

This is my first, and probably gonna be my only, Carter knife and I have to say I'm quite happy with it on first inspection. I think it's gonna be a nice knife to use :


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## Josh (Jun 10, 2011)

Len - I have to agree - with everything in your post, and now I have to wonder... how many of these went to Canada? Good to see my addiction can be shared locally... now I just wish we'd have a bloody knife show up here where we all live in igloos, every second word is "Eh" and our woman walk around with tight t-shirts to get us our Canadian beer


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## apicius9 (Jun 10, 2011)

Josh said:


> ....here where we all live in igloos, every second word is "Eh" and our woman walk around with tight t-shirts to get us our Canadian beer


 
Sounds like I should move if it weren't so bloody cold...  

I have a bunch of Carter knives and think they are excellent performers. The way his prices have developed in recent years, this knife seems like an excellent deal. 

Stefan


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## echerub (Jun 10, 2011)

Stella Artois was handing out free, full-sized bottles outside my subway station yesterday  Don't worry Stefan, that doesn't happen every day (yet  ).

I've noticed that there's a fair number of us knifeknuts up here in Canada.

So far we know where 5 of the 10 Carter special 240s went, and 2 of them came up here.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jun 12, 2011)

Slightly better pics of the handle, sorry for the artificial light.












Rick


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## Potato42 (Jun 12, 2011)

weird.

Ok so how is the blade? Up to the usual standards? I don't know anyone that buys Carter for a nice handle anyway.


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## Pensacola Tiger (Jun 12, 2011)

Blade is typical High Grade Carter, except that, as noted elsewhere, the ricasso/choil area was not smoothed. 

The profile is almost identical to the DT ITK 240 in 52100, that is, just a tad larger than most 240 wa-gyutos like the Tadatsuna or Konosuke. Length of the edge is 242 mm. 

Not a lightweight, either, at 223 g.

Rick


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## Potato42 (Jun 12, 2011)

Dang Rick It's almost like you stole it compared to his current pricing for a blade like that. Congrats. I really need to try one of these one day.


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## Salty dog (Jun 12, 2011)

I like the handles. The blades are Carter functional. The finish sucks.


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