Ordered MT36 K294, got a MT38 M398?

[USCGchief]

After careful review of these forums, officially jumped into the Mule Team world and order the MT36 K294.Received today a MT38 Böhler M398 Microclean blade.
I had to search for MT38, as it’s not listed for sale on the website. It popped up as Sold Out.

It’s also $15 cheaper than the K294.

So, Question to the group: I can return or keep it - how does K294 compare to M398?

[USCGchief]

[sal]

Hi USCGchief,

Welcome to our forum and thanx for your service.

sal

[USCGchief]

Thanks Sal. My first Spyderco was in the Coast Guard over 30 years ago. Guy on my ship was a mail order dealer.

[Tgmr05]

Call spyderco, they are very helpful and will make things right.

The m398 is stainless and holds a decent edge. The k294 may hold its edge slightly longer, but is a tool steel and is susceptible to stains/rust more readily.

Lucky to get an m398, but I would still call.

[Mage7]

You can check out the comparisons here. K294 is equivalent to 10V on this list.

https://knifesteelnerds.com/2021/10/19/ ... esistance/

The edge retention are a bit neck and neck, with M398 being slightly higher, but it is also stainless. However it will be a lot more brittle and prone to chipping than K294.

K294 is going to rust easier, but is much tougher and basically the same amount of edge retention.

Don't send it back! They sold out fast and haven't/won't be back. People are listing them for as much as 140-160 on the secondary market, so I am sure you could find someone that wanted to pay you the cost of a K294 Mule for it. I think if you sent it back, it would probably end up on a restock shelf and then sold as a factory second way down the line, so you would be giving someone outside of Colorado a chance to grab one if they missed it. Honestly I am fighting the urge to PM you an offer.

[USCGchief]

Thanks for the feedback!

Question, which would be a better “woods” knife for hiking and camping? M398, K294, or AEB-L?

[Bolster]

Thanks for the feedback!

Question, which would be a better “woods” knife for hiking and camping? M398, K294, or AEB-L?

Welcome to the forum! When you hike and camp, which do you prioritize:

Edge holding? Then K294 or M398. Not AEB-L.

Lack of rust? M398 or AEB-L. Definitely not K294.

Toughness? AEB-L is super tough for a stainless steel. In which case, you definitely don’t want M398 with “toughness…lower than any other available stainless knife steel, including S125V” (—Larrin).

If it were my hike, and if I were expecting dry weather, I’d leave the M398 at home, because I don't want to "baby" an edge in the back-country. If I were expecting wet weather, I’d leave the K294 at home. If I were planning a very long trip, with many chances for edge dulling, I’d leave the AEB-L at home (unless employing the trick below).

But you are choosing among three extreme steels here. How about a nice well-balanced steel instead, that covers all the bases competently, instead of covering one or two bases superbly? Spyderco makes the straight-spine SPY27 mule available at all times, and I’d rather take a balanced steel into the unknown.

Also consider: If you go with AEB-L, but you want the edge to be sharp throughout an extended trip, maybe take a square of wet-or-dry sandpaper with you, wrap it on your hiking pole, tilt your pole to the edge degree on your knife, and you have a field-expedient Sharpmaker or “crock stick” for a fraction of an ounce.

Including a photo of my current fixed-blade backpacking knife:

[USCGchief]

@Bolster, sent it back and now swapping for the straight spinned Spy27. So thanks for your feedback.

Not really as technical as many here so I’ll sharpen to my own ##dps freehand angle and use real world and see how it compares to others notes.

[USCGchief]

Received the MT28P2 SPY27 Straight Spine yesterday. Already had the new sheath and Spyderco Mule G-10 scales. Wet sanded the scales 60/150/400/800/1000/1500 then polished with 000 steel wool (filled sink and kept it in the water as G10 dust is toxic). Really came out great, feel smooth as glass and looks like wood grain.
Had a decent factory edge but took it to the stones, re-profiled on 400 dia thence to the Shapton wet stones 1000/2000/5000 and stropped to mirror razor edge.
Oiled the sheath (I think all rednecks always hit their sheaths with gun oil…).

Very happy with the outcome. Will make a great camp/hiking knife. May resharpen to 400/600 “micro-chiseled” rougher edge for that.

[Bolster]

Looks excellent--like it is inviting me to touch that über-smooth handle!!

I've never owned a Spyderco leather mule sheath...is it stiff, supple, or somewhere between?

[USCGchief]

Thanks. I love how G10 smooths out and has unique grains from the layering to make it. It really does feel like glass wood.
I like the sheath, it would be somewhat in-between but more on the stiff side. You would want that to retain the knife and hold it from falling out. Only think I would add is a buckskin liner at the to top so as to not scratch nice scales.