Great Review by Rowan Jacobsen, Author of A Geography of Oysters

A Geography of Oysters is a James Beard Award-winning book and a terrific read! Rowan asked to try our oyster knives when we met him at the Chefs Collaborative Summit in Seattle a couple weeks ago.  Here is what he posted on his website:

The Perfect Gift for That Special Shucker

Oct 14, 2012

2 oysters & a clam...

I recently had the opportunity to test-drive the new, flagship oyster knives from R. Murphy Knives, which has been making knives in Ayer, Massachusetts (not far from Concord) since Henry David Thoreau was wandering the region’s woods. In an age of outsourcing and overseas manufacturing, R. Murphy knives are still made in Massachusetts, and still top-quality. (If you don’t believe me, just ask Cook’s Illustrated, which named R. Murphy’s New Haven the best oyster knife in America.) R. Murphy makes a number of oyster knives, in both stainless steel and high-carbon, and you can get them with wooden handles or “Murphy green” plastic, which, truth be told, is what I lean toward, because I feel like you get a better grip and can exert a little more control and force. They make everything from a classic “Chesapeake Stabber” model to the New Haven, the Seattle (which is sharp only at the tip and is designed to go in through the bill, as they do out west), and, impressively, the Duxbury, clearly designed with a nod toward Island Creek Oysters. (If you’ve followed the shucking competition circuit at all, you know that many of the top shuckers grind their blades down to a short nib, and that’s what you get in the Duxbury). Anyway, here is most of the line (clam knives, too):

So many bivalves, so little time...

Most of these knives run you $12-14 bucks, no biggie, but cast your eyes back to the top of this post, because it’s those hand-polished wood-and-brass beauties that really have me salivating. ($37; not so bad, considering.) The handles are extremely heavy, and perfectly weighted, so once they slide into your hand they feel like a natural extension of it. I’ve never used an oyster knife with a weighty handle, and it made a difference. (The blade, of course, was wicked sharp, which didn’t hurt.) I slayed a slew of oysters in record time, and felt a little bit cool while doing so, which is why I highly recommend them for that special someone in your life who likes to kill oysters. I was impressed by the Wellfleet (bottom), but it’s the aptly-named Damariscotta (top) that will basically be inseparable from my right hand from now on. Watch out, bivalves. Resistance is futile.

Rowan Jacobsen hosted the Chefs Collaborative Summit this year.  He is the author of numerous books and many articles reporting on food, the environment and the connections between the two.  He has written for the New York Times, Newsweek, Harper’s, Outside, Eating Well, Forbes, Popular Science, and others, as well as speaking on sustainability, food, and wine.

Thanks, Rowan!

http://www.rowanjacobsen.com/

http://www.oysterguide.com/new-discoveries/the-perfect-gift-for-that-special-shucker/

Chefs Collaborative Sustainable Food Summit 2012 - Seattle

R. Murphy Knife Co. is proud to be a sponsor of another exciting, important event -- the Chefs Collaborative Sustainable Food Summit -- in Seattle -- 
Sept 30 - Oct 2, 2012.

Chefs Collaborative is widely recognized for its “Sustainable Food Summit,” which annually galvanizes more than 300 chefs, food professionals and the media for a 2-day educational and experiential conference.

Founded 20 years ago and currently boasting a membership of 12,000, the collaborative is working to change the sustainable food landscape.  It is a national network of people involved in our food system -- chefs, food producers, and food professionals. These people understand that by working together, learning from each other, sharing information, and using their own buying power they have the power to influence change.

They do this in part by organizing and supporting:
 - regional programs to educate members on complicated issues in food supply and distribution
 - local programs to promote dialogue among farmers and chefs
 - seafood tutorials on sustainability for culinary schools and restaurants

Chefs Collaborative is the only national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting sustainability among chefs in both restaurants and institutional food service; fostering local and regional networks of chefs; and ensuring a strong voice in the media for the chef perspective on a more sustainable food system.

So you can see why were are proud to be a member of such a wonderful organization and to be a sponsor for their annual summit!  We will be at the Summit with our cook's, shellfish, and food processing knives. Come by and see us at registration or after lunch on Monday, Oct. 1. We're looking forward to it!

ICOF Friends for Haiti Benefit this Saturday, Sept 8!

R. Murphy Knives is honored to be a sponsor of Island Creek Oyster Foundation - Friends for Haiti Benefit.

All proceeds from this event go to the Caribbean Harvest Foundation's Tilapia Fish Farming Program. This Foundation is committed to providing sustainable aquaculture in one of the most impoverished places in the world. 

Island Creek Oysters Foundation (ICOF) will provide 40 families per year with Tilapia Fish Farming Kits and related supplies. The annual income of the 40 families who receive ICOF Tilapia Fish Farming kits, can rise from an average of $300 per year to nearly $3,000 per year.  These kits and related supplies also provide a year-round source of protein for their families and a reliable income.

ICOF has a goal to donate a minimum $100,000 to Caribbean Harvest from this year's event.

So, buy your tickets and come down to beautiful Duxbury Beach Saturday evening, Sept. 8, 2012.  Enjoy delicious food prepared by famous chefs, oysters (of course), signature cocktails, wine, and music.  Bid on wonderful auction items, including R. Murphy cooking and oyster knives!  Check it all out here.

New logo for R. Murphy Knives

We are pleased to introduce our new logo designed by Guarino Design Group of Cambridge, Mass.

We just love the simplicity and elegance of it.  Although our old logo has served us well for 78 years (since 1934), we felt it was time to modernize and update our look.

It is now displayed on our website, blog (see above), Facebook, and Twitter pages.  We'd love to hear your comments!

In a few months we will transform our website to go along with our new look, so stay tuned!

We think Mark Guarino did an excellent job!  Wicked sharp!

Thanks, Mark!

Livin' High on the Hog... (part 2)

Hog Island oysters, that is!  (as we said in part 1)  Sent by a friend of Murphy and fan of oysters from her weekend visit to Hog Island Oyster Farm.  Check out R. Murphy oyster knives in action!

Hog Island Oyster Farm is located in beautiful Tomales Bay, 49 miles north of San Francisco.



They have been growing delicious oysters since 1983. 
Check out their website.

We're so glad you like our knives!  We love your oysters!

Livin' High on the Hog... (part 1)

Hog Island Oysters, that is!  A friend of R.Murphy and fan of oysters sent us these great videos and photos from her weekend visit to Hog Island Oyster Farm!  Murphy knives in action -- check it out!

Hog Island Oyster Farm is located in beautiful Tomales Bay, 49 miles north of San Francisco. They have been growing delicious oysters since 1983.  Check out their website.

Summertime and the Whittling is Easy!

Summer is a great time to sit on the dock and whittle away while chatting with your friends.  We'll be taking our carving and whittling knives up to Squam Lake, New Hampshire to do just that for a week this month.  I've discovered that it is a very pleasurable activity regardless of ability!  So, we bring along a few for everyone in the group to try -- it's great to see what people come up with -- mini-totems of intriguing designs. 


We received a wonderful letter from a  "real" woodcarver, Jim Rohl, who mentioned us in his article in Chip Chats magazine.  Below is the excerpt and his letter.  Hope you enjoy it!  The full article is in the May-June issue, which can be obtained from the National Wood Carvers Association.


Suggestions for Carvers 

By Jim Rohl

3. What this country needs is a good, cheap whittling knife. When I meet another carver, I feel I should introduce myself by saying, "My name is Jim and I have more knives than I need." That way I'd get the problem out in the open right away.
    But new projects present new difficulties, and the need for new tools.
    Recently I carved some large bird species life size, and I wanted a knife with a longer blade than what was in my tool box. I've given away many carving knives made by R. Murphy Knives of Ayer, Mass., to beginners over the years, and knew pattern makers and leather workers who used Murphy adjustable blade knives, so I looked at the Murphy Web site.
    Three days later I was making chips with a Murphy 35/8" Sharp Point Shoe Knife.
It was the best $10 I've spent this year. The blade is thin (1.5 mm stock) and ground to a good long level. In less than five minutes I had it honed to a shaving edge and was set to go.

3 5/8" Sharp Point Shoe Knife

    The handle is long and thick enough to be comfortable in my aged hands, and it could easily be modified with a little work with a rasp and sandpaper. It is held on by a single brad so you could easily make an entirely new handle if you wished.  It doesn't hold an edge like the work of the great custom carving knife makers, but I've got no kick coming about its performance in basswood and white pine. Next time I'll buy the 31/8" blade though - it would be plenty long enough.•


Jim Rohl, 204 Black Oak Dr., 
St. Peters, MO  63376
---------------------------------------------
We received the following letter from Jim with these kind words along with a copy of his article from Chip Chats.   Thank you, Jim!


     Dear Sirs,

I have enclosed a copy of an article I wrote which was published in the most recent edition of Chip Chats, the magazine of the National Wood Carvers Association. I wrote this as a result of the knives I ordered from you several months ago. I've given a couple of them away to beginning whittlers, and have continued to use one of them for most of my whittling. I cannot begin to tell you how much Ilike it. It takes a great edge and holds it well. The blade is just the right combination of flexibility, width, and thickness, and the handle is comfortable. I spent several hours whittling yesterday and my fingers and hand are not sore at all this morning.

Thanks for making such a great product. 

 Sincerely, 

Jim Rohl