An exemplary modified tooth proportion gear cutter includes a gear cutter that has a plurality of cutting teeth, and each one of the cutting teeth has a pair of cutting edges configured to cut a gear in a blank orientation so as to provide the gear in a final orientation. The gear in its final orientation has an involute tooth profile including a plurality of cut teeth and a plurality of valleys therebetween. The cutting edges are configured to cut the gear in the blank orientation, such that the gear in the final orientation includes the involute tooth profile with an active profile section and an operating pitch diameter that is spaced apart from the active profile section.