Your choice of steel for Mules #6, 7, and 8

I think it would be good to get a couple of current standards in the mix near the start. Excellent benchmarks and fairly economical would be:
CPM 154cm
VG-10

INFI would be very interesting but difficult and expensive since even if they went along, Busse would have to do the proprietary (and reportedly lengthy) heat treatment.
 
You can already pick up a knife in H1 for about $50 or so. I thought the purpose of the Mule project was to bring exotic and not-commonly-used steels to the user base for a fair price?

Bring on more carbon tool steels!
 
The mule project started out as a way to provide steel junkies with an economical way to test different steels (scientifically or not) in knives of the same design.

I doubt that any two buyers have the very same purpose in mind, but in my mind, the key is the opportunity to compare the performance of different steels in the same knife and learn something about what the differences really are in practical use.
 
Sr 101, or infini, it would be a win win for busse and spyderco. oops sr101 is 52100, how does the spyderco compare with swamp rats?
 
eyeeatingfish said:
Yeah but im wondering if that harder zdp steel would be suitable in a longer blade that might be used roughly.

fallkniven does good stuff with that laminated steel.
Click to expand...

You do have a point. I've wondered if the increased hardness might make it a bit brittle. You could laminate it with 440C on the outside, and VG-10/S30V on the inside. It'd make a wonderful stainless knife.
 
440c as the laminate? I would think a softer steel would make a better laminate, like420 steel or something. Im a big fan of 440c and vg-10 steels. Im a little wary of these super super steels.
 
I have a knife in S30V, and another one is S90V and I love them both. Excellent edge retention, and if you keep it sharp (Like run it over with an ultra fine hone once a month) it's not hard to resharpen. Super "super" steels in my mind are like ZDP, and I haven't got one of those yet. Little pricey for now.

I was thinking 440C because it's softer then VG-10, depending on the HT, and I think it would accent the edge better the 420. However, I guess either would work, I know the Caly3 in CF uses 420.
 
cpm154, VG-10, or 440C after that I really don't care.

We need something as a base line reference then we can really start comparing steels. It's not all about the neat steels remember? Anyone remember when AG Russell had the Deer Hunters in three different steels. It was like AUS-8, VG-10, D-2? I think... That was the last great time you could try out some new steels.

Well, seeing as we all are dreaming how about some Damasteel? I'm in, who else?

As they say in for a penny in for a pound. If you don't know, it's easier to make 3 or 4 sets of scales at once.
 
Saberman said:
cpm154, VG-10, or 440C after that I really don't care.

We need something as a base line reference then we can really start comparing steels. It's not all about the neat steels remember?
Click to expand...

It IS all about the "neat" steels. I've been using all the stuff you mentioned for years, as I think have most of the people on this list. I know how 440C and CPM 154 CM performs, and especially VG-10. And all of those steels came with knives that cost more than a Mule. This is probably the only chance any one of us will ever have to acquire a decent design in exotic steel at this price.

I vote for the exotics.
 
I think that is Cowry steel also. 2nd guess ZDP. either one good stuff. I'd think it wasn't ZDP because ZDP has some tungsten, and a pinch of copper also. It's laminated with something. Joe
 
Hitachi Super Blue
3V
BG42
And I second the Damasteel- I would love to try this, and don't know how else I would in a significant sized knife.
 
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