Folding Mule Team?

[JKOLLER]

I see that the mule team is coming back witch is awesome! What are the chances of some sort of folding mule team happening perhaps with the military platform?

[sal]

Hi JKoller,

Welcome to our forum.

This concept has been discussed a number of times and we always run into the same questions for whiich we have not found any solutions;

1. The cost of a folder like the Military would be much higher than the fixed blade we've been using.
2. Making just the blade to fit a locking handle would present a multiitude of manufacturing problems and liability problems.
3. With processes like our CQI, adjustments become problematic.
4. What model would serve all customers? What size? what design? etc.?
5. When using new steels, we have to purchase minimum volume in the steel which will make far more smaller blades and we don't think the market will support such a large quantity. Some of the Mule Teams we make a special orders for steel production which raises minimums

The closest we've come up with is some sort of Slip joint which removes the fitting of a lock, but we had many that said they were not interested in a slip joint.

sal

[JKOLLER]

Sal,
I remember reading at one point there was talk of doing something like this with the military, i now understand why it has not been done. Thank you for the explanation! I have a soft spot for the military due to the carbon fiber s90v military i bought before i deployed in 2009 was the first high quality knife i ever purchased. That being said do you think there are any possibilities of seing more sprint run militaries or a maxamet production military to go with the pm2 and para3? Thank you for your time!

Joe.

[jpm2]

It's a shame so many are not interested in a slip joint mule.

To fully test the limits of a blade steel, I have to use it on the job, where it's subjected to harsh environments and used in harsh ways, unique to my work. What works at my job is a walk in the park at home and elsewhere, but the opposite is not true.

I use the sprint urbans at work often and fully aware of each steels' characteristics and differences. It seems my fixed blades are doomed to live a sheltered life at home, never exposing their full potential, because the inconveinience of a non folding, non clipped knife is just too much for me.

[cycleguy]

I have more blade steels in PM2 and Delica 4 than in Mule Team (I was late to the party). Seems a little backwards and not on the cutting edge (no pun intended); but, to a degree, the folding mule concept kinda of already exists...

CG

[TomAiello]

I'd still love to see the UKPK (and/or Urban) used as a folding mule platform. :)

Or at least a Maxamet UKPK? Please?

[ladybug93]

what about smaller fixed blades? a 2.5-3” blade would give enough to work with for edc tasks as long as people don’t expect it to be a bushcraft blade. small edc fixed blades are becoming more popular and keeping it smaller might help with the legal issues for some.

i think the enuff would make a great platform for testing steels. maybe thin it out a little bit for better testing and you could make the same scales available to people that want to purchase them. i’d love to test out the enuff with a variety of stainless or outdoorsy tool steels.

when i first came around here, i didn’t know what lc200n or the mule team was or i would’ve grabbed one up immediately. the whole thing shut down shortly after. i’m super bummed that i missed out on those lc200n mules.

[JKOLLER]

what about smaller fixed blades? a 2.5-3” blade would give enough to work with for edc tasks as long as people don’t expect it to be a bushcraft blade. small edc fixed blades are becoming more popular and keeping it smaller might help with the legal issues for some.

i think the enuff would make a great platform for testing steels. maybe thin it out a little bit for better testing and you could make the same scales available to people that want to purchase them. i’d love to test out the enuff with a variety of stainless or outdoorsy tool steels.

when i first came around here, i didn’t know what lc200n or the mule team was or i would’ve grabbed one up immediately. the whole thing shut down shortly after. i’m super bummed that i missed out on those lc200n mules.

Thats a petty good idea, i have been known to carry an enuff in my pocket. I would agree on thining it out though!

[sal]

Hi Joe,

Thanx much for your service.

You have an S90V Carbon Military. Pretty high stepping for a first. Good taste.

We're sure to do more with Military model variations. Eric just gave me a Millie 2 Compression lock he's been working on. The Military is a very functional classic and we're sure to do more with it.

Right now, we have so many new models, exclusives and variations that we're having to triage priorities.

sal

[JKOLLER]

Hi Joe,

Thanx much for your service.

You have an S90V Carbon Military. Pretty high stepping for a first. Good taste.

We're sure to do more with Military model variations. Eric just gave me a Millie 2 Compression lock he's been working on. The Military is a very functional classic and we're sure to do more with it.

Right now, we have so many new models, exclusives and variations that we're having to triage priorities.

sal

Sal
Thank you for the warm welcome! Im so glad to hear how the military is alive and well! Though i love it just the way it is that compression lock military sounds very interesting. Is that the direction you see it going as far as CQI or can we expect both a liner lock and a compression lock version? Thank you again for your time!

Joe

[kennethsime]

Hi Joe,

Thanx much for your service.

You have an S90V Carbon Military. Pretty high stepping for a first. Good taste.

We're sure to do more with Military model variations. Eric just gave me a Millie 2 Compression lock he's been working on. The Military is a very functional classic and we're sure to do more with it.

Right now, we have so many new models, exclusives and variations that we're having to triage priorities.

sal

I can't wait for the Compression Lock Military. I'd love to see it in K390 or Maxamet, but will buy it in S30V also.

[JKOLLER]

Sal
Thank you for the warm welcome! I love the military as it is now but it is very interesting to hear about the military 2 with the compression lock! Do you expect that the military 2 Going into production will be the end of the original liner lock version, or will they co-exist? Beyond the compression lock on the military 2 are there any other fundamental changes to the design? Thank you again for your time!


Joe

[Wartstein]

Hi Joe,

Thanx much for your service.

You have an S90V Carbon Military. Pretty high stepping for a first. Good taste.

We're sure to do more with Military model variations. Eric just gave me a Millie 2 Compression lock he's been working on. The Military is a very functional classic and we're sure to do more with it.

Right now, we have so many new models, exclusives and variations that we're having to triage priorities.

sal

I can't wait for the Compression Lock Military. I'd love to see it in K390 or Maxamet, but will buy it in S30V also.

Discussed extensively already anyway and a bit off topic here, but still:
I so do hope that a comp. lock Millie will be "just" a cool and certainly interesting "Military model variation" as Sal put it, and NOT actually replace the current Millie.
NOT cause the comp. lock wouldn´t be cool and a good one (it is!), but for me the current great linerlock is a big part of what makes the Millie a Millie, makes it unique and works just perfectly. Especially for an outdoors / military knife, that is used in various, harsh conditions.

/ On topic. For me personally the Millie would be a good Mule option, but I fully understand why this would be not a good idea generally (costs, size, not legal in many places...)

[standy99]

The beauty of the mule is the fixed blade and making or getting a handle made.

[archangel]

I think Sal said multiple times that the Millie 2 will not replace the original liner lock Millie.

Millie 2 comp lock is music to my ears! Please make it a regular production model with sprints / exckusives in rare steels! :)

As to folding mules: a slipjoint mule program could have more supporters than you'd think, given all the threads for more UKPKs / Urbans / Roadies etc... Just my gut feeling.

[Wartstein]

I think Sal said multiple times that the Millie 2 will not replace the original liner lock Millie.

Millie 2 comp lock is music to my ears! Please make it a regular production model with sprints / exckusives in rare steels! :)

As to folding mules: a slipjoint mule program could have more supporters than you'd think, given all the threads for more UKPKs / Urbans / Roadies etc... Just my gut feeling.

Did he indeed? That'd be good news! :)
(Though I personally can't recall he did)

/ I am with you: IF a "non fixed blade mule", a smaller slip joint would be the best choice imho

[Hopweaver]

The folding Mule is a neat idea. It already sort of exists with all of the variants for the PM2 or Para3. They could probably select a handle color and go with a lightweight version of one of those for a folding mule.

Not to hijack the thread, but the best Military lock I have seen so far is the R.I.L. of the Ti/CF S90V model.

[abbazaba]

Comp lock Millie is going to be awesome.

[kennethsime]

The folding Mule is a neat idea. It already sort of exists with all of the variants for the PM2 or Para3. They could probably select a handle color and go with a lightweight version of one of those for a folding mule.

Not to hijack the thread, but the best Military lock I have seen so far is the R.I.L. of the Ti/CF S90V model.

I would be tempted by a RIL Ti + G-10 or Micarta Military in M390, K390, or Maxamet. Otherwise, I think I'm waiting for the Millie 2 w/ comp lock!

[senorsquare]

The folding Mule is a neat idea. It already sort of exists with all of the variants for the PM2 or Para3. They could probably select a handle color and go with a lightweight version of one of those for a folding mule.

Agree. Either LW Native or LW Para 3 would serve as reliable and affordable platform for a folding mule concept.

Not to hijack the thread, but the best Military lock I have seen so far is the R.I.L. of the Ti/CF S90V model.

Also agree. The TI/CF Millie is amazing.