MT29P - Mule Team Featuring Z-Max PM Release Info!

[Buddafucco]

So...what are the ideal tasks for ZMax?

Not kitchen duties (wet = corrosion)
Not an ideal outdoors steel (not tough, not stainless)
Not a blade for accidentally hitting metal or stone (likely to chip)

Cutting carpet, cardboard, other soft but abrasive materials...?

You guys are scaring me on this steel. Prone to chipping and rust plus hard to sharpen… Sounds like a lot of negatives for some extra edge retention.

I was looking for something like a high end general use bushcraft knife. Is z-max the the totality wrong steel for this? Would z-wear be a better choice?

That's the beauty of the Mule Team!... We can get the steel for a very reasonable price to try it out for ourselves. :)

[Artvitel]

Thank you, Kristi!

[WilliamMunny]

Sales will be limited to one per household. Please be aware that the Z-Max PM Mule was planned and produced before discussions about increasing quantities.

Kristi

Kristi,

Will the MT30 Z-Wear run also be limited to 1 per person?

[Rinzler]

I wouldn’t be scared of this steel. It’s basically maxamet. However you’d care for maxamet steel or use a maxamet knife should carry over closely to Z max.

Maxamet is AWESOME. I’m excited for this mule.

[Cricket Bite]

Does anyone know where to get Micarta scales for a SPyderco Mule? Thanks.

[TazKristi]

Sales will be limited to one per household. Please be aware that the Z-Max PM Mule was planned and produced before discussions about increasing quantities.

Kristi

Kristi,

Will the MT30 Z-Wear run also be limited to 1 per person?

Hi, WilliamMunny:
We haven't determined that yet. We'll include that information when we announce its release.

Kristi

[Skidoosh]

Does anyone know where to get Micarta scales for a SPyderco Mule? Thanks.

The only way I know how to get them is make them, it is not hard, just takes some time

[z1r]

Nice, I like your Green and Tan scales.

[Bolster]

I was looking for something like a high end general use bushcraft knife. Is z-max the the totality wrong steel for this? Would z-wear be a better choice?

Z-wear would be my choice, between the two you mentioned...for bushcraft, I would be looking for a balanced steel, or even toughness over wear resistance, but that's me. Here's a Larrin graphic that shows Z-Max' unusual profile: extreme edge retention, but not tough (which usually translates as chippier than tough steels, more prone to fracture in twisting cuts). Z-wear would be a more balanced steel (a "copy" of VascoWear, as is CruWear) with less edge retention and more toughness.

[WilliamMunny]

I was looking for something like a high end general use bushcraft knife. Is z-max the the totality wrong steel for this? Would z-wear be a better choice?

Z-wear would be my choice, between the two you mentioned...for bushcraft, I would be looking for a balanced steel, or even toughness over wear resistance, but that's me. Here's a Larrin graphic that shows Z-Max' unusual profile: extreme edge retention, but not tough (which usually translates as chippier than tough steels, more prone to fracture in twisting cuts). Z-wear would be a more balanced steel (a "copy" of VascoWear, as is CruWear) with less edge retention and more toughness.

I saw the same study putting z-max at 5 on the toughness scale. I think the same study also gave S30V a 5 on the toughness scale. Do you think z-max and S30V are sound the same toughness?

[dlum1]

Larrin's work strongly suggests the two (z-max and s30v) have roughly the same toughness for his particular heat treat. Given that the z-max will be significantly harder than s30v, it'll likely have better edge stability and hold a razor edge longer. At least my maxamet holds it's ultra sharp edge longer than most of my other knives. However, maxamet does not appear to roll. My knife primarily micro-chips when the edge breaks down to a nice working edge that lasts forever. I've sharpened it once with diamond sharpeners and stropped it with a diamond paste. I also somehow broke about 1 mm of the tip off a pm2 (no idea when or how it happened). I'd like to pick one of these up and test it outdoors. I wouldn't recommend intense batoning with this knife, but it'll be perfect for any normal cutting task. And as long as you keep it clean, dry, oiled, and don't pry with it, z-max should be fine for hunting and fishing (since corrosion will degrade the edge).

For a knife that can take a significant amount of abuse, I'd recommend the upcoming z-wear

For kitchen duty, I'd recommend something a little more stainless. Thus far, my wife's s45vn mule has proven a beast in the kitchen. It gets used every day and is often left wet and covered with whatever. It's been about a month and I haven't had to sharpen it yet and there's no sign of corrosion. It appears to be more stainless than s30v without any discernable difference in edge retention.

[Fireman]

People have mentioned chipping. A convex edge should help with this but I am not skilled enough yet or have the equipment to perfectly convex such a hard edge. I will try to get one and see what I can do with it.

[WilliamMunny]

Larrin's work strongly suggests the two (z-max and s30v) have roughly the same toughness for his particular heat treat. Given that the z-max will be significantly harder than s30v, it'll likely have better edge stability and hold a razor edge longer. At least my maxamet holds it's ultra sharp edge longer than most of my other knives. However, maxamet does not appear to roll. My knife primarily micro-chips when the edge breaks down to a nice working edge that lasts forever. I've sharpened it once with diamond sharpeners and stropped it with a diamond paste. I also somehow broke about 1 mm of the tip off a pm2 (no idea when or how it happened). I'd like to pick one of these up and test it outdoors. I wouldn't recommend intense batoning with this knife, but it'll be perfect for any normal cutting task. And as long as you keep it clean, dry, oiled, and don't pry with it, z-max should be fine for hunting and fishing (since corrosion will degrade the edge).

For a knife that can take a significant amount of abuse, I'd recommend the upcoming z-wear

For kitchen duty, I'd recommend something a little more stainless. Thus far, my wife's s45vn mule has proven a beast in the kitchen. It gets used every day and is often left wet and covered with whatever. It's been about a month and I haven't had to sharpen it yet and there's no sign of corrosion. It appears to be more stainless than s30v without any discernable difference in edge retention.

I have found my S30V knife to be fairly tough with only one or two minor chips over 5 years so that speaks well for the z-max. How do you think the corrosion resistance of the z-wear will be? About the same as the z-max?

[dlum1]

Now that you mention it, I've never chipped my s30v knives. However, the edge degrades quickly to a working edge. Much faster than maxamet. I have a few stains on my maxamet knife, but nothing major. I take good care of it though. I suspect the two are roughly equivalent.

[WilliamMunny]

Now that you mention it, I've never chipped my s30v knives. However, the edge degrades quickly to a working edge. Much faster than maxamet. I have a few stains on my maxamet knife, but nothing major. I take good care of it though. I suspect the two are roughly equivalent.

That is the same issue with my Spyderco Manix 2 in S30V, I find it dulls down much quicker than I would like. But it’s easy to sharpen and again only one or two minor chips over five years.

[Arang]

Hope to snag one.

[austrian_spyder_fan]

I think i will pass this time.
Still waiting for my 2 MT31 Mules (for me an Ric).
Its a long way to Austria :D

Good luck to everyone!

ASF :spyder:

[Woodpuppy]

Man I’m really in the fence on this one. Cruwear/Zwear/MagnaCut is, I think, my sweet spot for general edc and outdoors. My kitchen knives are Wusthof, so nowhere in the realm of Spyderco performance. I would like to try something further out on the edge retention / wear resistance end of the spread. If it must be sharpened on the Diamond/cbn sharpmaker rods I can handle that. I don’t want to have to buy new sharpening gear though. Wish I knew where K390 fell on that chart above.

[spydie-fan]

Glad to see these are being limited to 1, to allow more people the chance to get one.

[BornIn1500]

z-max should be fine for hunting and fishing.

For kitchen duty, I'd recommend something a little more stainless.

For hunting and fishing, being stainless should be an even higher priority than in the kitchen. At least you can quickly clean a knife in a kitchen. In outdoor environments, that won't happen. Z-max is far from an ideal hunting and fishing knife. I think people are really reaching to justify buying this z-max.