Spyderco Mule Team 3.5" Fixed Blade / Black G10 / Satin ZDP-189 ( Pre Owned )

In the English language the term mule has multiple definitions: There's the obvious equine reference being the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. It can be a coin minted from two dies by mistake and the auto industry refers to the-?ir test vehicles as a mules. Spyderco also calls knife models designed and built for testing and evaluation Mules. When a group of these are brought together they make a team of mules, thus the name of our new knife release: The Mule Team.

Knife and steel-devotees love trying out new blade steels. Spyderco leads the industry in offering, testing and manufacturing knives using new and exotic blade steels. Taking that idea a step up, why not offer a series (team) of blades using different, exotic and freshly unveiled steels? In doing this steel-obsessed knife knuts can try, test and use something normally not offered to the industry.

What is the Spyderco Mule Team?

Spyderco's Mule Team officially launches with a single-piece fixed blade pattern. The blade is leaf-shaped with a sharpened and finished PlainEdge blade but with an unfinished handle providing some a do-it-yourself opportunity. The unfinished handle has a series of holes for attaching a custom handle or for wrapping in cord. All Mule Team Pieces are sold without handle scales or a carry sheath focusing the project on the blade steel and opening the door for the owner to create his/her own handle scale and carry options.

The Mule team project was created as a simple, inexpensive venue for "steel junkys" to have an opportunity to test different blade steels themselves. Each run will have a different interesting steel. Each run will have the same pattern, a fixed blade with a full tang. Each run will have the same thickness, grind, edge and will be heat treated to the optimal hardness for that steel. No handle, scales or sheath are provided. This not only saves you funds, but gives you the opportunity to make (or have made) custom handles and sheaths.

How many and how often will they be released?

Spyderco's plan is to release several variations per year using the same fixed blade pattern produced with different exotic steels. Each steel offering is limited to approximately 600 pieces and engraved indicating the steel used. Variations are priced accordingly with the only cost variable being the steel itself. Prices will be announced prior to the release of the upcoming model.

ZDP-189

In 2009 ZDP-189 blade steel was the hottest, hardest and highest performing Japanese knife steel in the knife industry. 3% of its component ingredient is pure carbon and 20% chrome (unheard of chemistries twenty-years ago), making the steel harder and in turn extending its edge retention. This is done through a powdered metallurgic process. At the time of MT04P Mule's release, Spyderco was one of a handful of cutlers around the world working with ZDP-189 blades.

This is a pre owned knife. The knife pictured is the actual knife for sale. Comes with the original box, Kydex sheath and decked out in stippled G-10 scales.

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