MT22P - Mule Team Fixed Blade with RWL 34

[TazKristi]

MT22P - Mule Team Fixed Blade with RWL 34

MT22P will be available for sale on Friday, 08-Apr-2016 at 0900 (MDT)

All sales will be handled by the Spyderco Factory Outlet store online at http://spyderco.com. You will find it under model # MT22.

Maximum Purchase Allowed: 2

Cost: $69.95 each

Domestic Orders:
Domestic Shipping in the Continental United States: Standard Shipping rates apply.
Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico Shipping: USPS $15.00

International Orders:
International orders have a maximum allowed amount of $600 (including shipping fees) for all online orders. All orders over $600 must be placed via phone or e-mail and paid for via wire transfer. Shipment of orders paid for via wire transfer will not occur until monies have been received by the Spyderco Factory Outlet Store. You may contact our store to place a wire transfer order at sfo@spyderco.com or 303/279-8383 x 107.

International shipments will be sent out according to our International Shipping Schedule:
Shopping Cart Total: $0-$99 - Shipping/Handling Charge $25
Shopping Cart Total: $100-$399 - Shipping/Handling Charge $45
Shopping Cart Total: $400 and higher - Shipping/Handling Charge $60

International shipments will be via USPS International Priority Mail. Please be aware, we will have limited tracking capabilities. Tracking once it leaves the US is dependent upon the postal services outside the US and their ability to provide it. However, this will completely eliminate UPS Brokerage Fees.

About RWL 34:
Spyderco’s twenty-second Mule Team installment features RWL 34, a "rapidly solidified powder" (RSP) martensitic stainless steel. A variation of the 420 martensitic stainless family, it contains 14% chromium, as well as molybdenum and vanadium for improved corrosion resistance, hardness, and strength. The positive attributes of these alloys are further enhanced by the RSP process, which involves using high-pressure nitrogen gas to force the molten steel through a nozzle. This creates a spray of small spherical droplets that rapidly solidify into powder particles. This unique process drastically reduces the segregation, or settling, of the alloys in the steel and produces an extremely fine, uniform carbide structure that offers a superior combination of hardness and strength.

Produced by the Swedish firm Damasteel®, RWL 34 has long been a favorite of custom knifemakers, but has not been used in the production of factory-made knives because it was not available in large sheets. Recent improvements in the availability of the material have changed that situation, so Spyderco quickly seized the opportunity to incorporate it into our Mule Team Project.

RWL 34's alloy composition is as follows: Carbon: 1.05%, Manganese: 0.50%, Silicon: 0.50%, Chromium: 14.0%, Molybdenum: 4.00%, Vanadium: 0.20%.

RWL 34 is an advanced alloy that offers excellent potential in high-performance cutlery applications.

What is the Mule Team:
For those of you unfamiliar with our Mule Team Project, it is unique to Spyderco. In-house we call knife samples designed and built for testing and evaluation Mules. We know a healthy percentage of knife users are interested in different blade steels and their performance abilities. Running with that, we released an ongoing Mule Team Project. Several times per year we unveil the same single-piece fixed blade patterned knife in a different and exotic blade steel. This lets steel-obsessed knife knuts test, try and use something normally not offered to the industry. Product runs are limited to 600 – 1000 pieces of each steel type depending on foundry requirements.

Mule Blades are leaf-shaped with a sharpened and finished PlainEdge blade but with an unfinished handle providing a do-it-yourself opportunity. The unfinished handle has a series of holes for attaching custom handle scales or for wrapping with para-cord. Each piece is sold without handle scales or a carry sheath focusing the project on the blade steel. This opens endless creative possibilities for the owner to design their own handle scale and carry options.

[SpyderNut]

Wow, what an unexpected surprise. :) Thanks for the info on this, Kristi. Very cool!

[kosta]

Good news. Thanks.

[sal]

I should point out that it was Spyderco working with Damasteel that prompted the prouction of sheet which Damasteel had never done before.

sal

[WireEdge Roger]

Very neat! I'd sure like to have RWL34 in some folders. It's great stuff, very similar to CPM-154

[farnorthdan]

Awesome stuff, as always thanks Sal and crew for continuing the MT project and giving us these great steels to check out and at such a reasonable price to boot.

[PayneTrain]

Thumbs up Sal! Someone's gotta be the first! Think I'll be adding this classic stainless to the collection.

[Cujobob]

It's a nice steel comparable to CPM-154 I believe. This is the sort of steel I would like to see in some offerings though probably needs some more exposure before it catches on.

[SpyderNut]

If I understand correctly, ATS-34 and RWL-34 share a similar chemical makeup. I read on BF that "RWL-34 is made by the powder metallurgy method and may be a little better than ATS-34 because of a finer grain structure." Perhaps Sal could weigh in on this?

[Tdog]

I'm in for this one, thank you Sal and Spyderco team. A 7 to 8 inch boning/fillet knife, not too much flex, in RWL 34 would be GREAT. :D

[tap78]

I should point out that it was Spyderco working with Damasteel that prompted the prouction of sheet which Damasteel had never done before.
sal

Will we see RWL-34 damasteel stainless Mule...?

[SpeedHoles]

I should point out that it was Spyderco working with Damasteel that prompted the prouction of sheet which Damasteel had never done before.
sal

Will we see RWL-34 damasteel stainless Mule...?

That is what this thread is about.... no?
Available early April.

[tap78]

Wow...I just can't belive it! :)
It is a fantastic steel.

[sal]

Ye it's powdered. Pretty common in Europe among custom guys, but hasn't been available in production knives due to the narrow strips that were available. We need sheet for production. We could make a Damasteel Mule Team, but it would be very expensive.

sal

[DougC-3]

This can get a little confusing since Damasteel is the name of the Swedish firm that makes RWL 34 and also makes Damasteel (Damascus type) steel, layered with RWL 34 and PMC27.

http://www.knifeart.com/damasteel.html

[SpyderNut]

Ye it's powdered. Pretty common in Europe among custom guys, but hasn't been available in production knives due to the narrow strips that were available. We need sheet for production. We could make a Damasteel Mule Team, but it would be very expensive.

sal

Would you say it is similar to ATS-34? (I.e. has ability to take a mirror polish and also has a tendency to work-harden)? I'd like to try some of the RWL 34 and see how it handles. Looks like this will be my opportunity.

[Ankerson]

Was talking to the Damasteel guys at Blade last year and they sounded very excited about this and working with Spyderco. :)

[sal]

Ye it's powdered. Pretty common in Europe among custom guys, but hasn't been available in production knives due to the narrow strips that were available. We need sheet for production. We could make a Damasteel Mule Team, but it would be very expensive.

sal

Would you say it is similar to ATS-34? (I.e. has ability to take a mirror polish and also has a tendency to work-harden)? I'd like to try some of the RWL 34 and see how it handles. Looks like this will be my opportunity.

The Chemistry is similar. Also similar to BG-42 with a little less carbon. We really don't have much history to go on so we'll have to create our own (we'll put you guys to work testing). We've done some CATRA tests and they're acceptable. Custom makers really like the steel. They say it takes a higher polish than many other steel of similar chemistry. We're testing high mirror polish now. As I remember, it's in the 61-62 range. You know, a little sweeter than vanilla, but not as much tart as orange. :p

I'm sending a Mule Team to Jim for testing. He's got a lot of testing experience and his opinion might help us learn.

sal

[Ankerson]

Hi Sal,

It will be fun and a learning experience. :cool:

Looking forward to running it, been looking forward to it since I 1st heard about it. :D :spyder:

Jim

[SpyderNut]

Ye it's powdered. Pretty common in Europe among custom guys, but hasn't been available in production knives due to the narrow strips that were available. We need sheet for production. We could make a Damasteel Mule Team, but it would be very expensive.

sal

Would you say it is similar to ATS-34? (I.e. has ability to take a mirror polish and also has a tendency to work-harden)? I'd like to try some of the RWL 34 and see how it handles. Looks like this will be my opportunity.

The Chemistry is similar. Also similar to BG-42 with a little less carbon. We really don't have much history to go on so we'll have to create our own (we'll put you guys to work testing). We've done some CATRA tests and they're acceptable. Custom makers really like the steel. They say it takes a higher polish than many other steel of similar chemistry. We're testing high mirror polish now. As I remember, it's in the 61-62 range. You know, a little sweeter than vanilla, but not as much tart as orange. :p

I'm sending a Mule Team to Jim for testing. He's got a lot of testing experience and his opinion might help us learn.

sal

Thanks for the info, Sal. I am looking forward to trying this steel. I've made a few blades from ATS-34 and found it enjoyable steel to work with. It'll be neat to see how RWL 34 compares.