Either I missed that post or you misunderstood what he posted. I know they were unable to re-heat treat the Mules, which frankly doesn't surprise me a bit. My ZDP Mule performs just like my other ZDP knives, but I haven't had it Rockwell tested, either. It could be that I got one on the low end of the hardness range, or it could be that I haven't applied any lateral force to the blade.