I was very fortunate to also get to try this knife. Mahalo Carter.pd7077 wrote: ↑Sat Jun 09, 2018 5:18 pm Carter graciously included me in this pass-around, and I have been able to play around with this knife for the past few weeks. This is the third variation of Carter’s gyutos that I’ve been able to test, and this one has probably been my favorite. While it’s a bit shorter at the heel than I usually prefer (47mm), the overall profile was excellent for just about every task. The grind is super thin, and Carter was able to do this without making it feel fragile. The tip is razor thin and excelled on horizontal cuts. There’s a decent enough flat spot in the back for chopping, but I think that the profile is better suited for push cutting. Food release/separation are what you would expect from a knife this thin. The handle is the typical Carter Hopkins quality that we all love and appreciate. Here are the specs of the knife and a few photos:
There is little I can add to Steves comments, so apologies for the duplications.
The build, fit and finish are pure CH. Perfect!
It is a true laser without feeling laser fragile. I liked the way it hit the board. None of that lightweight feeling that I dislike with so many other super thin knives.
As Steve said....the grind is very impressive.
It really did everything well. The basic profile was definitely more suited to push cutting, but chopping was also well handled. Food release was pretty good and there was no wedging on any ingredients I attacked. I did not sharpen it so cannot comment on that. But 52100 is normally an easy steel to bring back so I assume it is the same. The tip was as thin as any I have tried and horizontal onion cuts were laughably fun. Right up there with my Tim Johnson, and that is a serious complement!
The over all shape was fine by me but in all honesty I like a taller blade on a knife this size, so I would probably ask for a custom size. Also I have to note that I'm not a French profile nut. And this is more French and Japanese!
So for me I would ask for different measurements.
One thing Carter wanted me to do was expose this to the elements where I live. Mr. Salty is alive and well in our house!
It did rather well in that department. I did spot some micro pitting on one side of the blade but I believe that came with the knife. It was really micro! If so it did very well as compared to the other 52100 blades I've had..... and sold!!!!
All told this is a serious knife that deserves your consideration especially if you are seeking an American made, high quality knife that looks and performs as well as anything out there. It's almost like you get one of those fantastic CH handles for free!
Mahalo Carter. I look forward to you continuing growth as a blade maker. Color me impressed!