Spyderco Forums

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 6:23 am**

RustyIron wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 24, 2020 10:03 pm

TazKristi wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 24, 2020 4:43 pm
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 ever 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.

Your guess is correct. They are 100% finished, except for scales.

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 6:35 am**

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes, all that were available when I learned of them (5 or 6 steels)
2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes, Halperns all around
3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Yes, 2 boltaron, 1 leather and 2 tacos from Azwelke (prefer tacos by far)
4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Yes, but haven’t got to using all of them yet and nothing structured just carried and used as needed
5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
See above
6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
No, FAIL!

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 8:26 am**

TazKristi wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 24, 2020 4:43 pm
1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?

Yes, several

2) Did you put a handle on it?

Yes, two of them

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?

Yes, one of them

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?

No. I've used one, but I wouldn't call it performance testing.

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

No

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

No

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:29 am**

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes, 14 in total.

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes, one handle for multiple use.

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

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
No, I only use it from time to time.

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

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

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:32 am**

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

2) Did you put a handle on it?
yes on all. All but two were Halpern.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
yes - bought boltaron

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
of course

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
yes - that was (more than) half the fun

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
Indirectly. My experience with the different mules influenced my preferences for the steel in my folders. k390, maxamet, s110v have been my favorite mules and folders. The 4v mule is also great - I just haven't found the right folder in that steel.

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 10:43 am**

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

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes, by Halper T.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Bought one off SFO together with the MT

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Yes, minor house tasks

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

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

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 11:33 am**

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

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes, purchased with the knife(s) from SFO.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Yes, both the Boltaron and leather options from SFO.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Not formally, I use them in the kitchen.

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
Yes, although not in a "controlled" manner.

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
Again only in an informal manner. I would be happy to in the future with releases that are still in the new or test phases.

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 11:45 am**

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
……... Yes - K390, 4V, Maxamet
2) Did you put a handle on it?
………. Yes, all of them
3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
………. Made leather scabbards
4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
………. Yes, edge stability to failure on all of them, many times
5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
………. Yes
6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
………. When a discussion comes up comparing steels, I sometimes comment based on my use.

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 12:13 pm**

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

Yeah.

2) Did you put a handle on it?

A couple of them. Mostly I just cord wrapped.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?

Made it custom to fit the ruler pocket of my carpenter jeans.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?

Carried and used each at work for a month or more. Not scientific, but it told me what I wanted to know.

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

Pretty much against the one before and after.

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

Not too much here, more over at Bladeforums. I set off the Cruware recall if that counts.

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 1:28 pm**

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes, at least 20. Still have 52100, M4 and Cru-Wear

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

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Bought a bunch of discontinued Buck sheaths which fit perfectly.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Yes, early on.

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

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

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 3:39 pm**

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

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Yes

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Yes

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

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

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 4:30 pm**

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes - I have 2 of each (52). One is a Collector and the other is a User. Gave a couple away.
2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes - Halpern handles on the 26 Users.
3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Yes - Bought about 6. Some hard and some leather. Some Blind Horse sheaths fit.
4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Yes - Some of the Users.
5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
No - Not in any reliable way.
6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
No

Bill Maier

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 5:37 pm**

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes. Most recently the PD#1.

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes. Double black, canvas Micarta. The Mule Team knives were amazing deals for high quality blanks with premium steels and heat treatments. Perfect for learning how to put a handle on a knife.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Yes. Purchased a Spyderco leather sheath for the PD#1. In the future I'd probably have one made or try making one myself.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
Not really as there seemed to be a lot of people on YouTube and whatnot who are much better equipped to do so in a way that accounts for more variables.

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
No. By the time I became fully aware of the Mule Team knives, they were on their way out so I was only able to pick up a couple models. The second hand market on these is priced shockingly high in a lot of cases so going that route wasn't feasible.

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
Not really. I shared pictures of the PD#1 after a handle was put on it.

Posted: **Wed Mar 25, 2020 8:04 pm**

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes A11, you guys sent me 20CV by mistake and I sent it back, it might have been the last one you guys had if I recall. Should have kept it and got both! What was I thinking haha
2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes, one from you guys
3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Yes, one from you guys. Bought all 3 pieces at once. Really need to offer a bundle if at all possible for starting out, and if you ever change it make them a bit smaller for neck carry then I would test it way more.
4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
A little bit
5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
No, only have the one before most everything sold out
6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
Maybe? Can't recall but didn't write a review

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 3:24 am**

I didn't buy any mule team.
First, I was unaware of the series for a long time;
Second, they were only available through Spydeco directly which means high costs, paperwork and possible problems with the customs (I live in EU).

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 4:33 am**

TazKristi wrote: ↑
Tue Mar 24, 2020 4:43 pm

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

Yes, in LC200N.

2) Did you put a handle on it?

I made some out of G10 slab.

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?

No.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?

Just via normal use.

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

I only purchased one, like some kind of idiot.

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

No.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 6:39 am**

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes, in PD1 and RWL34.

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes.

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

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
I use both of them regularly if that is what performance testing means.

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

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

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 7:04 am**

1st off this thread makes my day!

1) Did you purchase a Mule Team knife in the past?
Yes, 14 total. (6) PD#1 (5) PMA11's and 1 each of RWL-34, CTS B70P and CPM 4V

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Yes and then some. I've, probably, made 40+ handles learning what I like and don't....and a bunch of screw ups :D Also, with my 1st mule I purchased the Halperin G-10 scales from SFO

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
Both, I've purchased 1 Boltron sheath and the rest has self-formed Kydex plus a few dozen of your G-clips.

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
In the beginning (8/29/18-1st mule) I was pretty knife ignorant other than they cut stuff :o Since joining up here and learning as much as I can from the forumites, (they got a tough job) I feel more confident to test each blade. Of the MT's I have, a few are put up and not used due to the financier handles, but I have copies of those steels. I make a point every workday to bring a mule with me to fiddle with while in the office and during slow times I will find stuff to cut or whittle just to get the feel of the handle and test the edge. I rotate the same 5 or 6 knives and most have been reprofiled just to see what angles I like best, but nothing too scientific.

5) Did you test the performance against other Mule Team knives?
Yes, but mainly in sharpening. I doubt could tell the difference, in light use, since they're make up are so similar. PMA11, PD#1 and 4V.

6) Did you share your experience/findings with the Spyderco forum?
Some, but I probably should try harder.

Making handles for these knives has become such a joy, that I'm still making them. Started one last week and don't have a knife to put it on :p Not to be too sappy but, they've become a great stress/depression reliever, especially around the holidays.

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 8:13 am**

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

2) Did you put a handle on it?
Also yes

3) Did you make or buy a sheath?
No

4) Did you test the performance of your Mule?
I used them, but did not test. Got the super blue and cos-3 because I wanted the steels and they weren't available in other knives

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

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

Posted: **Thu Mar 26, 2020 8:26 am**

1. Yes, probably 10
2. I made handles, that is part of the appeal of mule teams for me
3. I made kydex sheaths
4. Sure did-
5. yes, but more by experience getting a feel for the different steels than by formal testing.
6. Incidentally but not with a formal write up

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