Everyday seems to bring a new surprise and today it came in the form of some Spyderco Mule Team and S&M Auto’s. They got tucked away and just kind of forgotten.
Spyderco’s Mule Team Blades
In the case of the Spyderco, I had laid a couple Mule Team blades back when I heard Spyderco was discontinuing their Mule Team Program. That was really sad news to me as they were my first serious exposure to high end powdered steel knife blades. If you’re not familiar with the Mule Team program, Spyderco would run a limited number of blades each year using different Premium Blade steels. My old friend Dave Taylor was the one who turned me onto them and I’ve never regretted picking a few up. They were also the reason I got hooked on high end steels.
The blades came without handles and you could either fashion your own or go to Halpern to find a set pre-finished and ready to bolt on. That was the quick and easy solution for me and they worked out fantastic. The two pictured knives are still in my pick a knife for the day kit. This was a great ‘fix’ for steel junkies or someone like myself that wanted to see what fantastic blade steel was all about.
I have a number of the blades still in their original boxes so thought I might share the joy. They’re listed in the store and if you want to treat yourself, here’s a great opportunity!
Collectible Schatt & Morgan Automatics
There were also a handful of the Schatt & Morgan auto’s. Specifically, the #3 and #71’s. These were a big auto that Queen built, replicating an old pattern of auto aimed at the collector.
The Schatt & Morgan automatic knife pictured is a true gem. My records show they only made 6 of the Birdseye Damascus with Stag handles. Not only does this piece have some gorgeous Damascus, but the stag is really nice. This Schatt & Morgan #3 should be a great collectible.
The #71 below was truly a huge auto as auto’s go. There were some issues when it came out as the blade was so massive, it took quite a bit of ‘throw’ to lock the blade. And when the blade opened up, you should hang on!
There are more of the Schatt & Morgans I’ll list in the future. In fact, I have no doubt I’ll find a few other items I’ve forgotten about as well. It’s just always interesting to open a drawer or box and see what’s inside!