R. Murphy Wellfleet Oyster Knife featured in the Wall Street Journal Today!

Oysters Ascendant

From working stiff's snack to rare luxury, this mollusk has seen its share of ups and downs. Now, the forecast looks brighter than ever

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How to Shuck an Oyster

                                                                                                                                               F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal

 Wellfleet oyster knife

  Don't be daunted by shucking: It just takes a little practice and a proper knife. Our favorite, for its pretty brass and rosewood grip and its steady heft in the hand, is the Wellfleet oyster knife (pictured here) by R. Murphy ($37, rmurphyknives.com). Here's how to wield it: 

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Bruce Hutchison for The Wall Street Journal

1. Grip oyster with flat side of shell facing up.

Using your nondominant hand (wrapped in a dish towel for protection), grip oyster with flat side of shell facing up, cupped side down. Slide tip of shucking knife into hinge joint at pointed end of oyster, keeping blade flat and parallel to shell. Work blade into hinge, wiggling and turning until you feel a release or "pop"—the sign you've severed the ligament that keeps the shell closed.

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Bruce Hutchison for The Wall Street Journal

2. Draw knife across interior of top shell

2. With blade still inserted and parallel to shell, draw knife across interior of top shell, separating oyster flesh from it. Pry off top shell and discard.

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Bruce Hutchison for The Wall Street Journal

3. Edge blade under oyster meat and slice muscles attaching it to shell.

3. Now oyster's meat should be resting, whole, in a small pool of liquid (called liquor) in bottom shell. Taking care not to spill liquor or pierce flesh, edge blade under oyster meat and slice muscles attaching it to shell. Eat and repeat.

Click Here for the whole article

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.