Japanese kitchen knife Spyderco Murray Carter Minarai Bunka Bocho K18PBK

Designed by world-renowned knifemaker Murray Carter, official heir to a 420-year-old Japanese bladesmithing lineage, Spyderco’s Murray Carter Collection faithfully translates Carter’s coveted handcrafted designs into affordable factory-made kitchen cutlery. The newest additions to this proud family of knives are his Minarai Series. Literally meaning “to look and learn,” minarai is a quintessentially Japanese way of describing the role of an apprentice. In that spirit, the Minarai Series expresses five of Carter’s highly refined designs in an economical format featuring solid CTS® BD1N stainless steel blades and injection-molded polypropylene handles. A remarkable fusion of time-tested traditional designs and state-of-the-art modern materials.

An all-purpose knife suitable for preparing meat, vegetables, and fish, the Bunka Bocho literally means “cultural knife,” because of its role in making traditional Japanese cuisine in the home. Closely related to the Santoku (“three virtues”) knife, the Bunka Bocho has a more acute and utilitarian point.