why can't I find a MULE to buy??

[swigert]

Make sure to post some pics when it comes in!

[dubya3]

Definitely will. Now I need to figure out what to do for scales. I found a site that has all sorts of different color micarta scales for the MULE for $45 so I'll probably order a set and further customize them with the dremel and a drill. I may make some wood ones myself but I'm not quite sure how to work with micarta and my uncle has a wood shop with a lot of fancy hardwoods so there's no limit on options.

[can't freehand]

From what I understand they're only sold at the SFO so I went to order the XHP blem for $60ish and there aren't any available. No big deal, about 14 of the other steels will work for what I want one for so I start going through them and can't find any available Anyone care to share their secrets of where they can be found? I'm planning on making one into my dedicated big game hunting knife and need it done in ~4 months before deer season!

Like pretty much everything else in the industry, the MULE project has been plundered by craven scumbags. A couple individuals hoard the MULE steels so they can gain enough control to turn around and flip the price on ebay, arizonacustomknives, bladeforums, etc.

[dubya3]

From what I understand they're only sold at the SFO so I went to order the XHP blem for $60ish and there aren't any available. No big deal, about 14 of the other steels will work for what I want one for so I start going through them and can't find any available Anyone care to share their secrets of where they can be found? I'm planning on making one into my dedicated big game hunting knife and need it done in ~4 months before deer season!

Like pretty much everything else in the industry, the MULE project has been plundered by craven scumbags. A couple individuals hoard the MULE steels so they can gain enough control to turn around and flip the price on ebay, arizonacustomknives, bladeforums, etc.

Luckily I found a s110v version, it should be here tomorrow. I agree though, there's nothing more that bothers me than people that buy up everything they can just to make a profit. Buying one to carry/use and one for a safe queen is different and I do it quite often myself but flippers will never go away so you better be quick to strike when new knives are released. I used to collect hockey and baseball cards too and that's insanely worse.

[tvenuto]

Like pretty much everything else in the industry, the MULE project has been plundered by craven scumbags. A couple individuals hoard the MULE steels so they can gain enough control to turn around and flip the price on ebay, arizonacustomknives, bladeforums, etc.

The mule team offers a unique opportunity for flippers. Spyderco is intentionally pricing these below what the market would bear, so there is built-in margin for someone who wants to buy and re-sell them once they have sold out. Also, a vast majority of those sold are going into the hands of users who will quickly turn their new knife into a used one, or one that has had custom scales added. Thus there is a combination of very few available second-hand knives that could be considered "new," as well as the built-in margin.

That said, I think the above is overstated. I think it seems worse than it is because very few users keep NIB back-ups that we end up selling later, or bother selling the used mules that we do have. The market on folders is a lively one because people buy knives to try out, and then may sell them off for myriad reasons. However, if you buy a mule to use, you know you want to use the mule, and they don't get sold for the reasons that folders get sold. Thus, the flippers make up most if not all of the secondary market on the mules, and may appear to "have control" even though they don't make up a larger portion of buyers than normal.

[The Deacon]

Like pretty much everything else in the industry, the MULE project has been plundered by craven scumbags. A couple individuals hoard the MULE steels so they can gain enough control to turn around and flip the price on ebay, arizonacustomknives, bladeforums, etc.

Reality check.

Out of the 20 Mules, to date, only a small percentage have sold out in under a week. Most have taken several weeks, and some several months, to sell out. At least some were initially limited to 2 per person to reduce, if not eliminate, hoarding. The current MT20 in CTS B70P was released on March 27th, and is still available from Spyderco over 3 months later. In all but perhaps one or two cases, if you missed out, it wasn't because of some evil flippers skirted the rules and cornered the market, it was because you weren't paying attention.

[dubya3]

Out of curiosity, what have been the best or quickest selling MULE's thus far? I know the factory stone washed blades are probably the rarest and that M4, M390, s90v, s110v are probably some of the more desirable models (at least for me)

[DougC-3]

Don't know how quick they sold out, but if rarity is an indicator, Super Blue is very hard to find. 52100 is pretty hard to find too, but usually pretty reasonable when they do turn up. I don't think I've ever seen but one Cobalt Special laminated blade for sale.

And ditto on what tvenuto and Paul said.

[akaAK]

I believe the K390 went quickly as well but may have been partly due to being released the same time as the 2014 forum knife. I added one to my order partly to make shipping costs worthwhile. Very glad I did as that mule has been one of my most used.

[dubya3]

Don't know how quick they sold out, but if rarity is an indicator, Super Blue is very hard to find. 52100 is pretty hard to find too, but usually pretty reasonable when they do turn up. I don't think I've ever seen but one Cobalt Special laminated blade for sale.

And ditto on what tvenuto and Paul said.

Someone just offered me a superblue NIB for $150 but I see at least one that's cheaper on ebay. He also has a s110v for $150 I might snag that one since I have two sets of scales but already have a s110v so would really like to find a M390 or ZDP next. The ZDP must be fairly hard to come by, it seems they sell around $200

[tvenuto]

Yes there was a heat treat issue with the ZDP mule and they had to be sent back for retreat. There are certainly some that didn't get sent back and some that broke, so I'm sure those are fairly rare. There is a way to tell which ones were retreated, and you'd want to be sure to get one of those.

[dubya3]

Now that you mention that I believe I read there were about 450 that were sent back and retreated but don't quote me on that.

[JNewell]

From what I understand they're only sold at the SFO so I went to order the XHP blem for $60ish and there aren't any available. No big deal, about 14 of the other steels will work for what I want one for so I start going through them and can't find any available Anyone care to share their secrets of where they can be found? I'm planning on making one into my dedicated big game hunting knife and need it done in ~4 months before deer season!

Like pretty much everything else in the industry, the MULE project has been plundered by craven scumbags. A couple individuals hoard the MULE steels so they can gain enough control to turn around and flip the price on ebay, arizonacustomknives, bladeforums, etc.

Is that why many of the Mules have been available directly from Spyderco for 6 to 9 months after they were introduced? :rolleyes:

[Nate]

I'm very happy to get a tested and awesome steel in S110V now rather than being a guinea pig with the B70P!

Sorry for the rant, but let me be the first to say:

Booooooo!

Don't get me wrong, I'm fairly sure the s110v will be fine for a few deer, but isn't being a guinea pig kind of the whole point of the mule series?

B70P, points to consider:

-First ever production knife in this steel.

-I believe you said somewhere that XHP is your favorite steel and Ankerson looked at it as a possible upgrade.

-Spyderco said in their Spyderbyte that it's closest to a stainless Cruwear (paraphrasing).

-Wayne Goddard mentioned years ago in The Wonders of Knifemaking that it's predecessor, CRB-7, looked like a compromise between BG-42 and ATS-34 that had a lot of potential as a knife steel. Now we finally get to try it out in a PM version with added niobium.

-It's readily available now for $80 vs. being more expensive and hard to find if you decide you want it later.

-Mine made a couple thousand cuts on cardboard with the factory edge before I got bored and sharpened it (and it was really easy when I did). Not saying it's the greatest out there, but it's hard for me to imagine needing more edge retention, especially at the expense of toughness/ease of sharpening (grinding).

So I guess I'm just disappointed it seems there is so little interest. I know not everything is going to fly off the shelves like the K390 and S110V, but so far this one seems like it makes a pretty great little user to me and I would really to hear more opinions and feedback on it.

I'm not saying you (or anyone) should run out and buy one b/c I said so, but if you're still in the market it may be worth a second look.

/rant off :)

[dubya3]

I'm very happy to get a tested and awesome steel in S110V now rather than being a guinea pig with the B70P!

Sorry for the rant, but let me be the first to say:

Booooooo!

Don't get me wrong, I'm fairly sure the s110v will be fine for a few deer, but isn't being a guinea pig kind of the whole point of the mule series?

B70P, points to consider:

-First ever production knife in this steel.

-I believe you said somewhere that XHP is your favorite steel and Ankerson looked at it as a possible upgrade.

-Spyderco said in their Spyderbyte that it's closest to a stainless Cruwear (paraphrasing).

-Wayne Goddard mentioned years ago that it's predecessor, CRB-7, looked like a compromise between BG-42 and ATS-34 that had a lot of potential as a knife steel. Now we finally get to try it out in a PM version with added niobium.

-It's readily available now for $80 vs. being more expensive and hard to find if you decide you want it later.

-Mine made a couple thousand cuts on cardboard with the factory edge before I got bored and sharpened it (and it was really easy when I did). Not saying it's the greatest out there, but it's hard for me to imagine needing more edge retention, especially at the expense of toughness/ease of sharpening (grinding).

So I guess I'm just disappointed it seems there is so little interest. I know not everything is going to fly off the shelves like the K390 and S110V, but so far this one seems like it makes a pretty great little user to me and I would really to hear more opinions and feedback on it.

I'm not saying you should run out and buy one b/c I said so, but if you're still in the market it may be worth a second look.

/rant off :)

All good point and yes, XHP is my favorite steel so far. I really don't think this will be my last MULE, I'm really digging the semi custom knife idea especially since they're pretty cheap. I've never been a fan of fixed blades but I already have two sets of MULE scales and a third set comprised of two exotic woods being planned already but only one knife lol. I very well may still get #20 and I'll definitely be buying them while they're available at SFO from now on to avoid the 2x-3x markup on the secondary but I'm interested in seeing what the next two or three models will be before I buy a new one from spyderco, plus I'd still like to snag a XHP blade before they get harder to find. I think I saw there's a upcoming mule with "maximus" or something along those lines and posters in the thread seemed very excited about it.

BTW, does anyone know how to tell if a MULE is a factory second? I'm afraid to buy a XHP mule as a regular release and find out there's something wrong with it and was originally sold as a blem.

I should add on that it might not seem like it's very hard on an edge but deer hair will dull an edge faster than you might think. In all honesty, even the old Buck 110 I used as a teenager would get through a deer plenty fine but you'd notice a definite difference while you're on a second without at least a touch up. I know I don't NEED S110V but why not? The only thing I'm afraid of is sharpening it, I'm a self proclaimed novice on a Sharpmaker and have had a **** of a time with ZDP (on a Manbug) so I'm hoping s110v will last me a good 7-8 deer, about 3 years.

[Nate]

I should add on that it might not seem like it's very hard on an edge but deer hair will dull an edge faster than you might think.

Yeah, I don't hunt, that's why I need you to check it out! Just kidding, I just wanted to talk about it really, because I've been using it a lot. Only have 2 (K390 & B70P) so far and don't know if I'll get the next couple that are coming out. (And really wasn't trying to be down on your choice, just the not wanting to be a guinea pig part :p )

Factory seconds should have a notch on the side of the thumb ramp, from what I've read.

[MacLaren]

dubya, theres a nice K390 mule on bf...

[sal]

B70P is a very nice steel. A nice combination of elements that balance well and perform well.

sal

[spyderg]

I would love to get my hands on a mule, any of them really. I've got some purple heart wood waiting to get laid - onto a nice knife as a beautiful scale ; ) unfortunately I'm in Canada and the only way to get one here is to pay a ridiculous price or a high price plus ridiculous shipping : (

[sal]

Order one from the store and ship it USPS.

sal