Carter Cutlery

A very unexpected shopping experience, in the best way possible.

I happened to be coming through Council and while stopping for lunch I saw Carter Cutlery was open. I had done some basic research on Carter when they moved to Idaho and knew they made very high end handmade knives, but was otherwise fairly ignorant to their allure. Since all I knew of Carter Cutlery was that Murray Carter was world renowned in his craft, I’ll be brutally honest in saying that I had low expectations for my anticipated shopping experience, I.E. mostly a gallery of items that are not for sale, guarded by a bored shop attendant who didn’t really know much;

Luckily my assumptions couldn’t have been farther from the truth, and instead of a bored shop attendant, one of the Muteki Bladesmiths, Taylor Shields, came out from the shop and began showing both his extensive knowledge and the obvious passion for his craft.

I have never carried a fixed blade knife, so I had lots of questions, and honestly I wasn’t expecting to buy anything, but after talking with Taylor i was so fascinated by the knives that it felt wrong not to leave with one (or two).

As Taylor answered my questions, he took me to the back shop area, talked about their forging and shaping process, and went through different blade materials, grinds, shapes and size. My budget took me away from the stunning Master-Crafted Damascus blades (which are well worth their cost and which I hope to someday own) but when a dedicated craftsman is standing at the counter showing you beautiful knives that he has made himself, it is impossible not to be drawn in.

Ultimately I picked up two knives handmade by Taylor, a unique Signature for myself, and a Muteki Mini-Aviator for my wife. With the sale already made, Taylor’s dedication to his craft showed again when he carefully sharpened both of my knives, talking me through their world famous sharpening process as he did so.

I can think of no higher praise than to let the beauty of the knives speak for themselves, adding that any cost barriers are easy to leap when you consider that they are hand made in Idaho by a dedicated craftsman, be that Murray Carter or one of his dedicated Appreciates.

In Summary, thank you Taylor, both for your amazing knives, but also for making my overall in-store buying experience so memorable.

It’s too soon to give a proper review of the knives, but I have very high expectations!

World class, artful craftsmanship. We watched Murray forge a knife live in the workshop. A truly amazing experience.
He holds live demonstrations and knife sharpening courses. Incredible craftsmanship on display. Every knife has a story.

We drove up to Carter Cutlery from Mesa, AZ visit and see Murray’s knives after seeing this on CBS Saturday morning news show. It was not a disappointment in any way! We actually had a very nice tour of his place by Murray himself. I had no idea there was so much to making a hand forged knife. We actually purchased two of his beautiful knives!

THE BEST KNIFE I'VE EVER USED!! Murray is one of the best people I've ever met. Quality person, quality service, quality knives.

We got to watch a great video of what it takes to make a knife. Very nice walk through of the processes of becoming a knife. Worth the time to take the tour.

I have purchased a few of Murray’s knives and razors even bought a spoon from him over the years and I can say all his stuff is 100% top notch. But what I really like about Carter Cutlery is the family feeling that we as customers get to enjoy. I am in the process of getting another knife from them and to my surprise I was able to talk to Murray’s son Tetsuo. Who is very patient and professional with his customers. That to me is a big plus in this day age Thank you again Tetsuo.👍

The knifes at Carter Cutlery are exceptional. You can not only see the quality with your eyes but feel it in your hand. A custom knife is a perfect gift for any big occasion. Graduation, promotion, retirement, birthday or even Christmas. I would recommend checking them out 10/10

The best blades money can buy, for those who need true performance, attention to detail, nuanced aesthetics, exceptional steel hardness and skillful craftsmanship. Far superior to wannabe blacksmiths on Instagram and Etsy, Murray takes practical design, traditional craftsmanship and superior fit and finish to another level.

We watched Murray forge a knife. Awesome experience. He and his son are very friendly and accommodating!!!!

You really can't get any better than a Murray Carter knife. His knives are hand-made with the highest degree of skill and craftsmanship, learned over decades of experience. Murray himself is a good man, fair and generous. I am proud to own one of his knives.

My grandfather recently gave me a KA-BAR combat knife that was given to him in 1945 by his aunt who apparently was one of the first female marines. This knife is very special to my grandfather and now I am the third generation owner of this knife. I decided that I would let the experts take care of it so I found Carter Cutlery right here in my home town and based on their website they seemed like they were the right people for the job. The blade of the knife was pretty heavily worn and uneven from sharpening with hand held whetstones over the past 80 years, and the tip of the blade had been broken off for many years. I just got my knife back today and I have to say that my expectations were exceeded, the craftsmanship is outstanding. The symmetry and geometry of the new edges and the new tip are outstanding. I've just been staring at the blade for the past 15 minutes admiring his work on it. I wanted to use this knife for camping chores and projects just like my Grandpa did when he was younger. On my initial sharpness test this thing sliced through a sheet of paper truer and cleaner than any pair of scissors I own. When I was out testing the knife on building a campfire it was splitting up kindling and carving tinder bundle shavings like nobody's business. Whatever you need done to a knife blade or whatever kind of knife you need to purchase I am confident that you will be satisfied here. The prices are great, the quality is amazing and everyone I encountered at carter cutlery were very kind and knowledgeable people. These are the kinds of business we need to celebrate in our local communities, I wish I had known they were here in Hillsboro before. I will definitely be returning for my future cutlery related projects.

Carter Cutlery knives are hand crafted works of art with heart, mind and soul in every knife. I have three neck knives so far and will be getting more. If your looking for a very high quality metallurgy, craftsmanship, design and a truly "scary sharp" knife that is a true one of a kind look no further! Another excellent option about Carter Cutlery is you can purchase a knife made by Murray or from the Muteki Series and the Apprentice Series!

I have had five knives made by Murray. They are top quality and a joy to use in the kitchen. Not your Williams Sonoma cookie cutter knives. Each one is unique and crafted with care.

Proud to own one of his knives, very light, extremely sharp, and its stayed that way for the few years I've had it. I was extremely disappointed when I seen Murray on Forged in Fire and didn't win the contest. You'd think a master smith would be a slam dunk especially because there are so few in the world.

Bought two of Murray's kitches knives 10 years ago. Finally couldn't sharpen it any more and fortunate enough to have moved to Oregon. Brought ALL my knives to Murray. OMG!! I don't think I've ever had knives this sharp, incjuding my Hatori or Misono. .I will never sharpen my knives anywhere else while Murray is around.

Met the owner Murray Carter, he gave us a tour of the facility. Very down to earth and willing to share his knowledge.

Who knew a high tier custom knife maker was right here in the Westside of Portland.

Craftsmanship and mastery are words that have fallen out of use somewhat, at least from the American lexicon. In an era of fast food and computer controlled manufacturing, it’s hard to believe that there are any master craftsmen, i.e. people creating things with their own hands. Murray and his apprentices are not only an exceptions, they are bonafide Muteki blade smiths . This non-descript shop in Hillsboro, OR is home to an ancient Japanese tradition. But, I’ll let Murray tell the story... We’re lucky to have it in our backyard.

Emailed in regard to a repair for a family heirloom pocket knife. This is obviously outside of their normal business, but they helped me out and I could not be happier with the end result. Very appreciative of this local business!

Went to drop my knife off for the sharpening process. They sharpened it while I was there! Wow, so cool. Seem like good people. Will definitely be back to check out their customs.

Best knives around! Staff is great and easy to work with. Be prepared to lighten your wallet. But you will not be disappointed!