Something along the lines of.......
Please keep Spyderco in mind before you ask for something that will
1) cause them to go broke
2) wear out their equipment and cause revolts on the shop floor
3) Be impossible to get, dangerous to work, or belongs to another who won't share ( yes, I'll use Infi as an example)
So, I'll begin with an old one but a great one
W2 Alloy steel that, like 52100, makes better knives than it's composition might suggest. I'd run it at rc 61-62 personally. A bit above where I'd put a production model in this steel. It does differential tempering well though that wouldn't be needed or desired in a mule. Strength: excellent edges, nice bite and likes thin edges. Pretty low carbides but higher performance than you would think,
CPM 154 What can I say? It's great stuff and can reach a solid rc 61-62. It bears no resemblance to production 154cm at a real rc 61-62. It still sharpens easier. Strengths, wear resistance, tough for a stainless. Takes great edges for stainless.
4V Between 3V and CPM M4. Tougher than M4, greater wear than 3V. Sounds really nice. Still relatively unknown
10V/A11 Jim Ankerson has covered it well. About the peak of performance achievable in production knives after some things have been worked out. No, I wouldn't blame Sal for nixing this one.S110V would be a stainless tool steel that the same arguments can be used for and against.10V can be run about a point higher ( my max hardness S110V Phil Wilson is at around Rc 64)
I'll leave it to other mule team aficionados.
I salute the greatest ongoing project in the history of the commercial cutlery industry. Thanks Sal and Eric, and team Spyderco.
Joe
Future mule steel hopefuls. I would love to see.....
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The Mastiff
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Future mule steel hopefuls. I would love to see.....
"A Mastiff is to a dog what a Lion is to a housecat. He stands alone and all others sink before him. His courage does not exceed temper and generosity, and in attachment he equals the kindest of his race" Cynographia Britannic 1800
"Unless you're the lead dog the view is pretty much gonna stay the same!"
"Unless you're the lead dog the view is pretty much gonna stay the same!"
I agree with Joe here.
Some things on A11/10V/K294. :)
This is not your Dads carbon steel...
It's a high alloy, extremely high wear resistant steel that can be run at very high hardness and it's not brittle even at high hardness around 64/65 HRC.
While clearly not for everyone, especially those who are sharpening challenged due to talent or proper tools due to the extreme wear resistance and high hardness range.
Steels like S90V are nothing compared to this difficulty wise and if those who find ZDP hard to sharpen will have real trouble, but it's very fine grained and will take a very fine edge, that is it will get incredibly sharp with the proper tools.
It's a steel that will cut basically forever, it will just keep cutting and cutting so it's a great user steel for those who want the ultimate in edge retention.
I put it and S110V at high hardness (64-65) in the same category edge retention wise with A11 having the most.
A11/10V/K294 is my standard for edge retention..
Some things on A11/10V/K294. :)
This is not your Dads carbon steel...
It's a high alloy, extremely high wear resistant steel that can be run at very high hardness and it's not brittle even at high hardness around 64/65 HRC.
While clearly not for everyone, especially those who are sharpening challenged due to talent or proper tools due to the extreme wear resistance and high hardness range.
Steels like S90V are nothing compared to this difficulty wise and if those who find ZDP hard to sharpen will have real trouble, but it's very fine grained and will take a very fine edge, that is it will get incredibly sharp with the proper tools.
It's a steel that will cut basically forever, it will just keep cutting and cutting so it's a great user steel for those who want the ultimate in edge retention.
I put it and S110V at high hardness (64-65) in the same category edge retention wise with A11 having the most.
A11/10V/K294 is my standard for edge retention..
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DeathBySnooSnoo
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Brock O Lee
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Ferris Wheels
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K390 would be good to try (and on the way...?)
K294 is great- I hang my head in shame at the patination on my only K294 blade (got to look after this stuff!)
K294 is great- I hang my head in shame at the patination on my only K294 blade (got to look after this stuff!)
UKPK G10, UKPK Ti, Para 2CF&20CP, Stretch CF, Stretch CF conv, Manix2 M4,Endura Wave, Endura ZDP189, Pacific Salt, Captain, Gunting S30v, P'Kal, Gayle Bradley,Atlantic Salt, Spyderhawk, Crossbill, Wings slipit
Mules: CTSBD1, Super Blue, S90V, VG10, S35VN, Cos-3, M390 Fixed: Bushcraft, Warrior
Mules: CTSBD1, Super Blue, S90V, VG10, S35VN, Cos-3, M390 Fixed: Bushcraft, Warrior
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defenestrate
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razorsharp
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HUH?razorsharp wrote:afaik, k390s only advantage is it holds hardness at higher heat,. I may be wrong. I would buy a mule in the steel in a heartbeat
K390 is slightly easier to work with than K294 and is supposed to be slightly tougher, but from my source they are very close with K294 having the edge in wear resistance at the same hardness.
