Mule Team HRc Information

[JNewell]

I got tired of continually searching for information on the Rockwell C ranges for Spyderco Mule series blades, so I thought I'd collect the information in a single post and edit it as new blades are released and tested. The information below comes mostly from posts by JLS and Ankerson here and at BladeForums (many thanks to both and to all others who've posted information). I'm sure there are other posts I've missed. Please feel free to post additional information or questions below. I'm only playing editor here rather than an expert authority, but I'm sure that forum members can field just about any question.

For information on the Mule program generally, note that Spyderco has posted a very useful page with information on the Mule series and the individual blades here: http://spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/index.php?item=13


MT01P - Mule Team 52100 - January 2008 (US)

From the Spyderco Edge-u-cation sheet: "Oil quenched and drawn to Rc 62"

Good thing you said no pressure! Otherwise I'd be worried about the repercussions of waiting this long.

I finally stopped in at my old work last week and I have some additional results.

MT01 - 52100 - 3 tests; 63.1 HRC average
MT08 - Super Blue - 3 tests; 62.5 HRC average
MT13 - ELMAX - 3 tests; 58.3 HRC average

I still haven't found the test results for MT06 and MT10. If they're not in some old spreadsheets, they're lost and I don't know that I want to know the hardness bad enough to tear the handles off (once they're epoxied on, they stay that way...at least how I do it).

MT02P - Mule Team CPM-M4™ - October 2008 (Crucible/US)

Well, I still haven't found my spreadsheet with the actual numbers on the M4. But my memory isn't too bad and here's what I can recall. The others are from either notes at my desk at work or posts here.
MT02-CPM-M4 - 62.5 HRC
MT03-CPM-S90V - 59.2 HRC
MT04 - ZDP189 - 66.4 HRC, this is the average of 6 readings that ranged from 65.2 to 67.1 HRC
Hope this helps.

MT03P - Mule Team CPMS90V™ - February 2009 (Crucible/US)

Well, I still haven't found my spreadsheet with the actual numbers on the M4. But my memory isn't too bad and here's what I can recall. The others are from either notes at my desk at work or posts here.
MT02-CPM-M4 - 62.5 HRC
MT03-CPM-S90V - 59.2 HRC
MT04 - ZDP189 - 66.4 HRC, this is the average of 6 readings that ranged from 65.2 to 67.1 HRC
Hope this helps.

Ok, so I finally took the time to test my new Mule and my Military 2nd that I have on hand. All these are averages of 3 tests. The calibration just before was an average of 56.1 on a 56.4 HRC test block. Since that's within tolerances, the numbers below are straight reporting, no adjustment in numbers due to the calibration error.
Mule - 59.2 HRC
Military - 58.8 HRC
Keep in mind some of the earlier comments about accuracy of calibration blocks and of the test itself and you'll see that this is right where it needs to be.

MT04P - Mule Team ZDP-189 - July 2009 (Hitachi/Japan)

My first one tested at 67 HRC average.
I haven't unboxed the second to take it to work for testing yet. If I ever do, I'll report on that.

Well, I still haven't found my spreadsheet with the actual numbers on the M4. But my memory isn't too bad and here's what I can recall. The others are from either notes at my desk at work or posts here.
MT02-CPM-M4 - 62.5 HRC
MT03-CPM-S90V - 59.2 HRC
MT04 - ZDP189 - 66.4 HRC, this is the average of 6 readings that ranged from 65.2 to 67.1 HRC
Hope this helps.

Gunmike inspired me to take my Mule to work and hardness test it. My 6 readings ranged from 65.2 to 67.1 HRC. It's definitely the hardest steel I've ever tested.
I'll be interested to see the readings from others.
This definitely takes it out of the EDC category, but should work real nice on my workbench.

MT05P - Mule Team 9Cr18Mo - October 2009 (China)

Average of 6 readings was 58.0 HRC, with a high and low of 58.6 and 57.7.

I'm really not trying to hog the thread, but it's seems I am anyway.
I've hardness tested 6 of the blades so far and here are the results.
59.3
58.9
59.1
59.1
59.1
58.9
All but one of those numbers represents an average of 2 tests. If you're not familiar with heat treating and hardness tests, that is amazing consistency.
As I was doing the hardness tests after work, two more guys found me and want Mules. For $20, it's hard to refuse.

MT06P - Mule Team CPM-S35VN™ - January 2010 (Crucible/US)

Updated HRC ratings on S35VN and ATS-34.
Both came in at 59 HRC.

MT07P - Mule Team Damascus VG-10 - October 2010 (Japan)
[No test data found yet]

MT08P - Mule Team Aogami Super Blue - December 2010 (Hitachi/Japan)

Hi Charlie,

They're running about 62. 61.5 on the low side 63 on the high side.

sal

John,

The Super Blue was 61.5 HRC.

Jim

Good thing you said no pressure! Otherwise I'd be worried about the repercussions of waiting this long.

I finally stopped in at my old work last week and I have some additional results.

MT01 - 52100 - 3 tests; 63.1 HRC average
MT08 - Super Blue - 3 tests; 62.5 HRC average
MT13 - ELMAX - 3 tests; 58.3 HRC average

I still haven't found the test results for MT06 and MT10. If they're not in some old spreadsheets, they're lost and I don't know that I want to know the hardness bad enough to tear the handles off (once they're epoxied on, they stay that way...at least how I do it).

MT09 - Mule Team Cobalt Special - February 2011 (Takefu/Japan)
[No test data found yet]

MT10P - Mule Team CTS-BD1 - June 2010 (Carpenter/US)

I have hardness testing for two more.

I found a MT-10 BD-1 Mule on Ebay for a decent price and removed the scales when it arrived as they were nearly 1/2" thick each. It tested at 57.2 HRC, which seems a little low, so I'd like to put the disclaimer that it was used of unknown origins. Other than that, the blade was clean and flat and the machine was freshly calibrated.

I also tested the CTS-XHP Mule and it was 60.3 HRC. Now to get some handles on it and start seeing what this steel is capable of.

MT11P - Mule Team M390 - June 2011 (Böhler-Uddeholm/Austria)

Update.
M390 Mule came in at 60.5 HRC..

I finally ordered my M390 Mule last week and received it yesterday.
I brought it to work today, did a fresh cal on the hardness tester and got 60.9 and 61.2 HRC for the two samples. I think I'm going to like this one.

MT12P - Mule Team Cru-Wear - September 2011 (Crucible/US)

I posted this in the MT12 re-release thread, but I figured that inquiring minds wanted to know.

I no longer work where I have a hardness tester in the next lab, but I left on very good terms and I stopped in to test my Cruwear mule this evening. I checked calibration before testing and I like the results. Please keep in mind, these were 3 tests on a single Mule. But I like the direction they point.
In case my writing is illegible, the numbers are 62.1, 62.2 and 62.8 HRC.

MT13 Mule Team Elmax - February 2012 (Böhler-Uddeholm/Austria)

Updated info in the MT-13 Elmax Mule Team - February 2012

I have one here that is 58.5 ave HRC.

Hi Dan. I believe we're running 59/60. I'll check for sure on Monay.

sal

Hi Dan,

The one I checked was 58.2.

sal

Good thing you said no pressure! Otherwise I'd be worried about the repercussions of waiting this long.

I finally stopped in at my old work last week and I have some additional results.

MT01 - 52100 - 3 tests; 63.1 HRC average
MT08 - Super Blue - 3 tests; 62.5 HRC average
MT13 - ELMAX - 3 tests; 58.3 HRC average

I still haven't found the test results for MT06 and MT10. If they're not in some old spreadsheets, they're lost and I don't know that I want to know the hardness bad enough to tear the handles off (once they're epoxied on, they stay that way...at least how I do it).

MT14 Mule Team CTS-204P - "Coming Soon" 2/12 (Carpenter/US)
[No test data found yet]

MT15 Mule Team CTS-B75P - September 2012 (Carpenter/US)

Target was 62/63. Mine Rc'd at 62.5.

sal

One more test to add. Stopped in at my old work yesterday and I think the results on the MT-15 CTS B75P Mule will be encouraging. I did a fresh calibration and tested my blade 3 times. 62.7, 62.2 and 62.9 for an average of 62.6 HRC.

MT16 - Mule Team CTS-XHP - December 2012 (Carpenter/US)

I have hardness testing for two more.

I found a MT-10 BD-1 Mule on Ebay for a decent price and removed the scales when it arrived as they were nearly 1/2" thick each. It tested at 57.2 HRC, which seems a little low, so I'd like to put the disclaimer that it was used of unknown origins. Other than that, the blade was clean and flat and the machine was freshly calibrated.

I also tested the CTS-XHP Mule and it was 60.3 HRC. Now to get some handles on it and start seeing what this steel is capable of.

MT17 - Mule Team K390 - July 2013 (Böhler-Uddeholm/Austria)

The one I tested on the handle was 62/64.

sal

Finally tested my K390 Mule.

63.8-64.1 HRC spread over 3 tests. This should be good!

MT18 - CPM-S110V Mule Team - July 2013 (Crucible/US)

60-61

sal

Just wanted to share hardness test results on my S110V Mule that I feel very lucky to have snagged on Monday.

For some background, calibration on a Rockwell hardness test machine is verified on a test block that normally has a +/- 1HRC tolerance on it. These test blocks come in various ranges and it's important to verify calibration as close to the expected range as possible. The test block was a 55.6 HRC test block. The calibration was at the lower end of acceptable (54.7 HRC) on the test block, but still in tolerance so I'll report the raw numbers. I got measurements between 58.7 HRC towards the butt end of the tang to 59.4 HRC just behind the plunge line. That's very good consistency, but perhaps not as high as I would've liked to see. It's still going to be a beast of a knife with regard to edge holding, but it may be some of the reason it didn't rank as high as I might have expected in Jim Ankerson's testing. I know he said he'd be sending his out for hardness testing as well; it'll be interesting to see those results as well.

Cliff Notes version - MT18, S110V hardness test results, average of 5 tests on one blade, 59.1 HRC

I think it would be safe to call it 60 RC given the variation [between the test block and the results].

That puts it right on the money of what Sal stated.

The hardness data came back as 60 RC.

MT19 - Mule Team PSF27 - August 2014 (SB Specialty Metals/US)

change log:
1/27/14 - added MT18/S110V
2/22/14 - updated MT18
3/1/14 - updated MT18
2/28/15 - added MT19/PSF27

 

[JNewell]

Reserved for future posts

 

[four_shore]

elmax 2012!

 

[JNewell]

This space also for future posts

 

[JNewell]

One more blank...

 

[EZ Bake]

What's this thread about again?

I kid, I kid - great idea and much appreciated.

 

[neuron]

Great idea -- thanks for putting in the time to hunt down and compile those results. :thumbup:

 

[bulgarian_djigit]

Useful thread. Great idea :thumbup:

 

[teacher]

Excellent list and info. Thank you for posting it....... :thumbup:

 

[JNewell]

Updated with preliminary info from Sal on Elmax:

Hi Dan. I believe we're running 59/60. I'll check for sure on Monay.

sal

Hi Dan,

The one I checked was 58.2.

sal

 

[Bronco]

Great resource. Thanks for compiling the data. We should do a similar thread for the Para 2 since there's been a selection of both stock steel offerings and sprint runs that featured additional steels. It would be interesting to see if any significant changes in HRc have been realized between the introduction of the test platforms and the production folders.

 

[parbajtor]

Not exactly a Mule Team, as it was a collaboration model, but anyone know what the Spyderco Woodcraft Mule in S30V came out at?

 

[JNewell]

Updated additional info on the Elmax MT-13 courtesy of Jim Ankerson

Updated info in the MT-13 Elmax Mule Team - February 2012

I have one here that is 58.5 ave HRC.

 

[Bull Mountain Custom]

Great thread and thank you for compiling this information.

 

[JNewell]

Updated MT-01, -08 and -13

Thanks to JLS :thumbup:

 

[JNewell]

Added MT-15P

 

[JayGoliath]

Thank you for the updates!

 

[JNewell]

Updated data for MT-15. Thanks to JLS! :thumbup:

One more test to add. Stopped in at my old work yesterday and I think the results on the MT-15 CTS B75P Mule will be encouraging. I did a fresh calibration and tested my blade 3 times. 62.7, 62.2 and 62.9 for an average of 62.6 HRC.

 

[ice-pic]

This is a great thread,thank you for the legwork.

 

[JNewell]

Updated to day to add data from JLS (thanks!) on MT16 and to update data on MT10.