9cr18mo initial impression

The ZDP Mules were a rather special case. Apparently, the hardness used for folder blades was a bit too high for fixed blades. Quite a few of them have cracked or broken. The 9Cr18Mo Mule I've been using for the last week has no cracks or lines such as you describe and holds an edge fairly well. It isn't S90V, but it beats AUS-8 and at least gives my PE ATS-55 blades a run for their money.

I think Sal would be interested in seeing your 9Cr18Mo Mule. It is a pretty new steel for knives, and problems are more instructive for him than most field data.
 
I agree. If you are having trouble, or are disatisfied they will likely want to look at it. Joe
 
Expensive to grind and polish I'd imagine.

Those S90V mules were the best deal ever. Well, I guess the M4 mules were a good deal too. I couldn't bring myself to buy a ZDP-189 until all the S90V's had been sold.
 
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I think it's just a blemish, but if it bothers you send it back. If it's something to worry about, somebody from Spyderco will probably chime in here at some point.
 
Hey Bateman, I have 2 and they have the same marks, along with the others I checked out at the SFO. Doesn't seem to affect performance so they don't bother me.
 
We ordered four and they all look like yours. My thought when I looked at it was that it was a finishing/polish issue. For $20/blade, it didn't bother me. If mine had warped tangs, I might feel differently.
 
Mine looks the same. The flat grind looks lumpy. I don’t know what to expect for 20 bucks, but I was hoping that our Communist friends would produce a high quality product. I have heard that they are capable, but this knife does not prove it. I have no opinion on serviceability as yet.
 
The ergos of the mule handle and blade are hard to beat. I bought one and mine seemd to have some heat marks as well. I dont think these will be brittle like the ZDP ones though. I would be willing to bet that it holds and edges as well if not better then any other $20 dollar knife. Use it. If it breaks in half Spyderco will replace it. It is not going to hold an edge like S90V. It was made in China and not Golden, what do you expect for $20 bucks. It would make a good beater knife, that if you lost wouldnt be the end of the world, or maybe a spyderco throwing knife?
 
You have convinced me to expect little of a 20 dollar knife and that I should expect little from a Chinese knife. Now, can you convince me that I should expect little from a Spyderco knife?
 
undara12 said:
You have convinced me to expect little of a 20 dollar knife and that I should expect little from a Chinese knife. Now, can you convince me that I should expect little from a Spyderco knife?
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Depends on what you mean by "Spyderco knife." It's not a retail-grade knife. The Mules are all basically T&E items. F&F are not intended to be up to normal commercial standards.
 
undara12 said:
Mine looks the same. The flat grind looks lumpy. I don’t know what to expect for 20 bucks, but I was hoping that our Communist friends would produce a high quality product. I have heard that they are capable, but this knife does not prove it. I have no opinion on serviceability as yet.
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I have a similar opinion. Grind is not as clean as my 52100, it has those lines (which don't bother me), and the tang is slightly warped. I'm pleased, though. I didn't expect as much from this Mule. As for the tang, once I clamp it between some scales with epoxy on them, it'll be fine. Alright, now who has put handles on them?
 
Sorry, I don't understand T&E and F&F. My impression was that we are given the chance to compare different steels in the same blade pattern. I don’t remember quality being mentioned. I will re-read the description of the Mule Team program.

I have the second Mule version and when I read about the new offering, I expected a blade of the same quality for a smaller price. I was thinking the smaller price would come from cheaper steel and not cheaper manufacturing. I anticipated a price of around $50.00 based on the price of the Mule 2. When I saw the $20.00 price, I was amazed. So using the logic of “what do you expect for $20.00”, I guess I should have passed on this one.

However, I have never been known for my logical thinking. Yes, the blade is worth 20 bucks. I like the polish. It fits my old scales for the Mule 2; although, somewhat poorly. The fun of making a new handle and sheath will be priceless.

I still think putting you name on a low quality product (or is it experiment) my cost you a sale or two in the long run.
 
The Mules are made where the steel is made, in this case China. The exchange rate is such that both the steel and the labor cost less in American dollars than the same blade in the same steel would cost if it were made here. The 20 US dollars we paid for this Mule would buy as much in China as 50 US dollars would buy here in the US.

The finish on the 9Cr18Mo Mules I have is not as good as it is on the other four models. Waah. It doesn't affect the cutting ability a bit. That is at the core of the project; a chance to test different steels to see how they perform relative to one another. As a side benefit, it also gives us a chance to try our hands at customizing and gives us some nice little utility fixed blades at a reasonable price. Sal gave us a much more refined design than I expected when the project was proposed.

If the finish of the knife is that important to you, I suggest you stick with finished knives and ignore the Mule Team project from now on.
 
So the $40 52100 Mule made in the US has better/worse/the same F&F as the $20 Chinese mule?
 
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