Mule Team Survey

[Capt'n Boatsalot]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes, I've purchased 4 (K390, S110V, 4V, PD#1), and sold the S110V.

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes, purchased scales from Halpern Titanium.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Bought 1 and made 2. All Kydex sheaths that I carry iwb.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
No, not a dedicated test. I do use them all in the usual tasks that all of my knives are subject to - food prep, cardboard cutting, wood processing for fires, etc. This did lead me to determine what I prefer: good sharpening response, good toughness, high wear resistance, and patinas are cool.

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
Yes, definitely.

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
No, not directly.

[Hopweaver]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past? Yes, Mule Team 25 - LC200N

2) Did you put a handle on it? No, but it is on my bucket list of things to do. I frequently carry a Bradford Guardian 3 on my belt. I got it at Blade Show shortly after getting the Mule. The Guardian 3 slowed my Mule Team knife completion because it checked a lot of the boxes I wanted from the Spyderco Mule.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath? No

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule? No

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives? No

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum? No

[bdblue]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past? yes, quite a few
2) Did you put a handle on it? I bought handles for a few and I made handles for 3
3) Did you make or buy a sheath? I made a kydex sheath
4) Did you test the performance of your Mule? no
5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives? no
6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum? no

[spyderg]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
No, unfortunately not available in Canada unless I want to pay huge shipping or aftermarket prices.

2) Did you put a handle on it?
If I ever get one, I’ve got some beautiful bocote waiting...

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
I’d likely buy a sheath, leather.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
I would use it extensively.

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
I would likely only buy one.

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
I would definitely share.

[SolidState]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes, the damascus mules. I got 2 of them.

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes, Halpern handles on both.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Made two kydex sheaths. I actually learned how to press kydex for this project, and have since made sheaths for lots of things.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Yes, but it was VG-10, so it is well known

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
No

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
Yes

[carlpoppa]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past? Yes, quite a few.

2) Did you put a handle on it? Yes, most of them.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath? Yes, buy.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule? Yes, but not scientifically.

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives? Yes, but not scientifically “head to head” style.

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum? No

[sal]

Hi Carlpoppa,

Welcome to our forum.

sal

[Mattysc42]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?

Yes, the LC200N, 20CV, and PMA11 Mules.

2) Did you put a handle on it?

Halpern contoured g10 scales on all of them

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?

Bought sheaths for two of them, made a kydex sheath for the other.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?

Yes, I tested the wear, corrosion, and impact resistance of each at my factory job, and in the kitchen.

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?

Yes, primarily the wear and impact resistance.

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?

Occasionally, though IIRC I usually specify the steels and secondary bevel angles rather than the models.

I love the Mule Team blades, which were my first Spyderco knives, so I’m thrilled to hear that there’ll likely be more coming. :D

[pdptrow]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes, several.

2) Did you put a handle on it?

Halpern g10 scales on a few and paracord wrap on a couple

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?

Bought sheath for one of them, repurposed a sheath from a buck Alpha knife for the mule

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?

Yes, In my own use of each in the kitchen and out side. Not actually side by side comparison.

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?

If you call use at the same task on different dates testing.

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
No, did not keep notes. I suppose it was for my own experience.

I love the Mule Team blades, thrilled to hear this news.

[TazKristi]

As most of you know, the Mule Team will be returning in the future. We'd love to ask you some questions that could assist us with our plans.

So... Kristi... a couple questions for you.

How to the Mule teams come out? Are they just hacked out of a sheet of material and require finishing all the way around? Are they finished dimensions? Is there any kind of edge put on the blade?

My guess is that it's a "finished" blade onto which you can attach parts and call it a knife. That's what I'm curious about.

Now to answer your questions: No.

I've never purchased a Mule Team. But it seems interesting. I'm not generally a fan of fixed blade knives. But I like to use wood from trees in my yard to make things. It allows the spirits of my trees to live on. Also, I'm intrigued by the idea of making micarta using whatever might inspire me that particular day.

And of course any desire to tinker with this will be predicated upon the coolness of the steel.

Hi, RustyIron:
I'm sorry for the delay, somehow I missed your questions. I think you'll find all of the information that you need here, https://www.spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/ ... m-project/. Short answer, it's a "finished" fixed blade. There is extensive history about the Mule Team here on the forum. It's a very unique project.

Kristi

[RustyIron]

Short answer, it's a "finished" fixed blade. There is extensive history about the Mule Team here on the forum. It's a very unique project.

Thank, TK.
Sounds like a fun project. I know you wouldn't be asking the questions if there wasn't already something brewing in your mind. I'm excited to see what you guys come up with.

[TazKristi]

I just joined so I could post on this thread, I'd buy every Mule from here on out.

Hi, Sndmn11:
Welcome to our forum. We're happy to have you, and we hope you enjoy your time with us.

Kristi

[PineyBoy]

It would help if I was familiar with whatever is a mule team knife. The only mule team I’m familiar with hauled borax out to make boraxo soap. A great mechanics hand soap by the way.

[TazKristi]

It would help if I was familiar with whatever is a mule team knife. The only mule team I’m familiar with hauled borax out to make boraxo soap. A great mechanics hand soap by the way.

Hi, PineyBoy:
Look a few posts up and you'll find a link that I posted that shares detailed information about our Mule Team.

Boraxo was a good soap - my Dad kept it in his garage along with a giant tub of Goop.

Kristi

[tbdoc4kids]

And Lava! Don’t forget Lava!

[The Mastiff]

Boraxo was a good soap - my Dad kept it in his garage along with a giant tub of Goop.

Is Boraxo like the "20 mule team borax " I have up near my washer and dryer and still use for cleaning? I recall my grandparents using things like Borax and baking soda and Lye and ammonia ( not together of course) and coal tar and lastly turpentine for pretty much everything we now use specialized products for. They pretty much did everything with the above products from laundry to windows to pest control and even toothpaste ( baking soda). The coal tar seemed to be an all around topical remedy.

[RadioactiveSpyder]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
— Yes, a good portion of all of them at one point. Now I’m down to just the Damascus and K390 ones.
2) Did you put a handle on it?
— All had/have Halpern scales on them, most of which were the 3D option 4 versions that I sanded the texturing off. I have a few flat option 5s left in fancy materials. Marianne and I interacted quite a bit here on the forum years ago when I was posting my pics of them, and she was kind enough to send me new materials they were trying for free.
3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
— Yes, just two though from Christina at SheathPro. One for the 3D Halpern scales and one for the flat Halpern scales. Keeping it in the family, Sal! :)
4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
— By “testing” do you mean “cut stuff”? Then yes, did I perform exhaustive rope cut tests? Absolutely not, I do wish my life allowed me to do stuff like that.
5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
— Not specifically to cross-compare them.
6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
— Yes, more so about my experiences with Marianne at Halpern and Christina at SheathPro versus how X metal cuts better than Y.

Very glad to see the Mule team saddling back up! Hopefully Marianne knows this so TRM can start making more scales! :D Cheers, Radioactive

[JMM]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes - #27 - PD1

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes - bought off ebay

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Yes - bought off ebay

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Yes - I did test it against my CruWear Shaman & CruWear Manix2

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
No, only had one, but I would/will once I get another one

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
Not yet

[Tdog]

1. Yes I've purchased numerous Mule Teams in the past
2. Yes, several handles/scales from Halpern, and several custom scales.
3. Yes, I bought several sheaths from SheathPro and a couple off Ebay.
4. Yes, I've tested my Mules but in most cases not hard use.
5. Yes, I tested cutting the same materials (not a heads up test) cutting similar and same materials just to compare.
6. Yes, I have discussed Mules on the forum.

Glad to see the Mules making a comeback. I'll be buying more depending on the steel.

[qwkzotc]

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes - 11
2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes on 3 of them
3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Bought 3
4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Just through usage, mostly while camping. Nothing formal
5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
Try to give the LC200N and the Maxamet equal use, especially camping/cooking for comparison, especially looking for corrosion/chipping. Zero on either.
6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
No