MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

A place to share your experience with our Mule Team knives.
Steeltoez83
Member
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:51 am

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#121

Post by Steeltoez83 »

I don't use strops for testing or my own personal carry. I have even been gifted free leather strops and compounds from Max aka stroppystuff. I have always endorsed that these would be the edge I would use and carry. With or without a blindfold I can get clean cuts across the grain on newspaper with a 1k edge. Larrin uses fixed angled systems for when he does his own catra machine testing. No idea what spyderco uses for their in house cut testing.

I did have a small cheap microscope thing for my laptop but I have no idea what black hole that fell into.
"Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone."
Steeltoez83
Member
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:51 am

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#122

Post by Steeltoez83 »

Shawn I believed did the catra coupons. I'm not sure he did everything for Larrin. My backyard bro science is more flexible. I let larrin do his thing, and I do mine. There's many in this hobby who use fixed systems like hapstone, kme, wicked edge etc who get great results. To me that's better suited for published literature than mine.
"Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone."
Steeltoez83
Member
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:51 am

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#123

Post by Steeltoez83 »

If your paying for someone's "expert" knowledge or skill set it's human nature to be suspicious. In my walk with faith I understand everyone has their own cross to carry. I am who I am from carrying my own. I sometimes need to sit back and recognize others travel different terrains when they carry their own crosses. I always tell my daughter who's in med school currently that the ability to translate the information is a skill she can always improve. Whether she encounters the patients with blind faith or the ones who question everything they think of.
"Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone."
Steeltoez83
Member
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:51 am

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#124

Post by Steeltoez83 »

As a kid my daughter always digested knowledge faster than others. She received awards and accolades bcuz she was the smartest in her grade. She would tutor others bcuz she has a way of helping others understand what they couldn't. She has the intelligence to persue many different career paths. She wants to help people thru a career in the medical field. She's wanted this since she was around 8 or 9 years old. I'm extremely proud of my daughter and the path she is on. I know there are going to be bumps in the road, I have my own friends within hospitals and other pharmaceutical companies. She's doing this without any help, and I'm proud of her.

The next testing edge on my mule achieved a score of 290.
"Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone."
tcarltonw
Member
Posts: 201
Joined: Sat Apr 23, 2022 8:18 pm

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#125

Post by tcarltonw »

Steeltoez83 wrote:
Wed May 22, 2024 7:45 am
Screenshot_20240522_083100_Gallery.jpg

I cut off the factory edge, and put 1 of my own. The burr cut off very easily from what I saw. The result was only 190 however I usually see a performance increase in more testing. I believe my 10V pm2 and Para 3 both hit 375 when it hit their peak. The magnacut I tested hits 350/360 so I'd like to see this k294 hit higher.
Yo Toez, from what I remember k294 was a bit of a pain to deburr after each progression(compared to the T15 & 15V mules I did around the same time). Could have a cpl multiple factors that went in to it but figured I'd just toss it out there. Also, hope the lady is recovering well.
Steeltoez83
Member
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:51 am

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#126

Post by Steeltoez83 »

tcarltonw wrote:
Tue May 28, 2024 10:57 am
Steeltoez83 wrote:
Wed May 22, 2024 7:45 am
Screenshot_20240522_083100_Gallery.jpg

I cut off the factory edge, and put 1 of my own. The burr cut off very easily from what I saw. The result was only 190 however I usually see a performance increase in more testing. I believe my 10V pm2 and Para 3 both hit 375 when it hit their peak. The magnacut I tested hits 350/360 so I'd like to see this k294 hit higher.
Yo Toez, from what I remember k294 was a bit of a pain to deburr after each progression(compared to the T15 & 15V mules I did around the same time). Could have a cpl multiple factors that went in to it but figured I'd just toss it out there. Also, hope the lady is recovering well.
My lady is with God now. She was too eager to start being much more independent than she was capable of. She slipped in the bathroom and hit her head. She fought back for almost 2 weeks but it was too much. I dont dwell on the tragedy, I focus on the extra time I got to have her.

I only used the shaman and the manix in 15V for my testing. I never experienced any issue with burr removal with k390, k294, or 15V. I haven't gotten to the T15 mule yet. Been shopping for cars with my daughter. After 1k I don't form any burrs. I would refine further on a loaded leather strop alternating passes at that point. Plus I only remove the burr on my final stone. Removing it at every stone is not a routine I personally do.
"Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone."
User avatar
RustyIron
Member
Posts: 2829
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2019 9:01 pm
Location: La Habra, CA
Contact:

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#127

Post by RustyIron »

[quote=Steeltoez83 post_id=1784765 time=1716994495 user_id=1004915
My lady is with God now.
[/quote]


I'm sorry for your loss.
Be well.
Steeltoez83
Member
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:51 am

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#128

Post by Steeltoez83 »

Thankyou for the kind words. My Alice was a very special person. She brought out the best in me. Id go on a religious rant here, but that's frowned upon. Sometimes life throws you lemons sometimes it throws the whole tree at you. My strong foundation in faith is helping me to cope. The song "born bold" by valley of wolves has been my jam of late. Right now I'm carrying my cross the best I can. I won't accept any donations or gofundme or anything like that. I'd forward it to cancer research anyways, melanoma to be specific. I am taking some time away from cut testing tho. I have been thinking about getting into running again this summer to distract myself. Dwelling in negativity is like swimming in quicksand.
"Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone."
weeping minora
Member
Posts: 703
Joined: Tue Oct 24, 2017 5:30 pm

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#129

Post by weeping minora »

Anyone interested in the Mule should act now; there're only 6 left!

I was able to pick up a few examples. Whilst I haven't had much time with it, so far I really like it. Very aggressive cutter, very good strength and toughness. Seems well dialed in and a superb example to get to try the Bohler 10V equivalent that has been overshadowed by its own brother, K390. I think I like the slightly less refined charachter of K294 a bit more than K390. It would be nice to see K294 get used within perhaps another Spyderco collab knife with Phil Wilson.
Make Knife Grinds Thin Again.
User avatar
VandymanG
Member
Posts: 472
Joined: Fri Sep 02, 2022 11:08 pm
Location: Yelm, WA

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#130

Post by VandymanG »

Only 3 K294 mules left. Glad I got my 2 mules in this steel cause it performance is amazingly aggressive.

Edit: they restocked more so no worries. I’m wondering - when they restock a mule does that mean they may have tweaked the heat treat? If so that would be cool to know.
Last edited by VandymanG on Sat Jun 29, 2024 10:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
Greg
MNOSD member #0054

* EDC Rotation- - - PM3 - CPM 15V, PM2 - S45VN, UKPK - MagnaCut.
Steeltoez83
Member
Posts: 607
Joined: Sat Aug 01, 2020 8:51 am

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#131

Post by Steeltoez83 »

Screenshot_20240629_103231_Gallery.jpg
Recently bought a budget hardness tester to compliment my standard testing. The k294 showcased more toughness than seki k390, but less edge retention. I figured it would be a lower hrc than k390. K294 I know was able to hit 63 and some change. Being a budget tester at 750 bucks but who's counting, I look at baseline. K390 hit above 64, but I know 64 is low Ballin. And k294 is above 63 but not at 64 from just 1 test. Better testers will provide a bit more accuracy, but I know this k294 is atleast 63.
"Nothing is built on stone; all is built on sand, but we must build as if the sand were stone."
Mage7
Member
Posts: 397
Joined: Sun Nov 13, 2022 10:06 am

Re: MT36P – K294 MICROCLEAN Mule Team Dropping Soon!

#132

Post by Mage7 »

Steeltoez83 wrote:
Sat Jun 29, 2024 9:50 am
Screenshot_20240629_103231_Gallery.jpg

Recently bought a budget hardness tester to compliment my standard testing. The k294 showcased more toughness than seki k390, but less edge retention. I figured it would be a lower hrc than k390. K294 I know was able to hit 63 and some change. Being a budget tester at 750 bucks but who's counting, I look at baseline. K390 hit above 64, but I know 64 is low Ballin. And k294 is above 63 but not at 64 from just 1 test. Better testers will provide a bit more accuracy, but I know this k294 is atleast 63.
Cool, thanks for letting us know. I think 63-64 tracks since that's what I have seen mentioned for the PMA11 and 10V figures as well.

viewtopic.php?t=83847
Post Reply