Mule as General-Use Fixed Blade: Which One?

C

cm_bushman

Joined
Oct 22, 2012
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I love Mules, though I've never owned one. I think the Mule Team project is the most commendable program in quality knives, with some of the Mules (M390, S90v) representing far and away the greatest value in the industry. Seeing as I'm in the market for a new fixed blade and I have a penchant for the latest and greatest steels, FFGs, kit knives, and the mules in general, I figure the time is ripe for me to finally get one.

This knife will be a user for sure (can't afford to buy knives that aren't). I'll be using it while camping, food prep, and generally any task I don't want or feel comfortable using my folders on. I won't be batoning or generally abusing this knife though, I've never had reason to or found a situation where it was the best way to proceed. I prefer high edge retention, something I'll only have to touch up at the end of the day or camping trip rather than completely sharpen after skinning a few rabbits. Corrosion is a non-issue for me, I've used carbon steels for years and I know what to expect, so steels like 52100 and M4 are okay with me. I was leaning toward M390, M4, or s90v for their high wear resistance, but I don't know much about Cruwear but the hype has me interested.

Given this information, do you guys recommend the Mule for this work, and if so, in which steel?
 
K390 mule is coming out next in the mule lineup
Heard good things!
 
I'm really excited about the K390. I hope it's released soon.

The problem with the Mule is that if you missed any particular run, you may have to pay a lot more in the secondary market. The ebay prices are ridiculous to me.
 
In watever steel you manage to get. I do not think that will be so easy, and I would personally go for what was available rather spending too much time and money on getting exactly what I desired. All Mules are good value and will do the job.
 
Shotgun said:
I'd be interested to know how they fair at food prep myself.
Click to expand...

I have the B75P mule, reprofiled it to around 30 inclusive and have been using it on and off again since I got it. Haven't had to re-sharpen it yet, but I have re-sharpened it just because I got bored. The handle could be angled better for dicing but overall the shape and grind are great.
 
any of them should handle any camp chores quite well. I'd prefer the m4 or m390 the most probably.

while the ffg is pretty good for food prep, the most limiting factor is the short blade. but that's true of many good camp knives.
 
Getting the next one from the factory outlet for regular price rather than buying a past one for what the market will bear is good advice. The Mules are sold through the SFO at the same price distributors would pay, so the new price is much more reasonable than you can expect to pay on the secondary market.
 
If there is a K390 Mule coming out within the next six months, I'll be all over it. I've been dying to try it, and if it's in a Mule, it'll be the best deal on the stuff out there. Of course, saying a K390 Mule is coming and it getting here are two separate paradigms. Any official word on the next Mule Team or the estimated time of arrival for it?

Until then, I'm okay with the Exchange prices, on which I've seen some recent Mules going for about double original price, but they usually have scales so it's not so bad in my view.

I was concerned at first with blade length myself, but in reality, I carry a 3" blade as my EDC, sometimes smaller but never larger, and I have never wished for more. On the other hand, using a USMC Ka-Bar as my first camping knife left me thinking such a large blade was more unwieldy than advantageous. I was hoping for a 4" blade, but with the steel options and price, I think I can settle for 3 and change.

As of now, barring some info on the next Mule Team, I'm thinking the s90v is the one for me! If I can, I also may go for an M4 version, to match my EDC. It will likely come down to availability in the end.
 
We haven't gotten any word on the release date, but Sal has posted that they are on the shelf, so it shouldn't be much longer.
 
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