The first Mule in 52100, Hole Sizes, Hardware and Such....

For those of you who have the first Spyderco Mule Team Knife in 52100...

The first Mule was in many ways an experiment, the first time that Spyderco had made this model. And one of the first things that became evident was that the smallest hole size, and the one most likely to be use by folks to bolt on handles, was of a size that was not especially common. And so, the feedback poured in about how hard it was to find hardware.

To which Spyderco responded by changing the hole size to a more common and available size.

But, if you have the first one, none of the currently available handle choices fit, because the hardware is a different size.

So, maybe a company will be convinced to scales for the first Mule, with the proper hardware, or maybe you can have your Mule custom handled by someone, and there are a number of someone's to do it.

But, until one or the other, that is where we stand.



What are the hole sizes?

If you look at a Mule, without handles....

You will see that there appear to be two sizes of hole, but a closer look will show that there are three sizes of hole.

There are the large holes, which are the same size for all the Mules. Then there is one hole, right north of the last large hole, and it is the same size for all the Mules, it is often referred to as a lanyard hole. The holes that changed size from the first Mule to the second Mule are the small ones...



On the first Mule, the holes are the following sizes...

Small Holes - 5\32
Lanyard Hole - 1\4
Large Holes - 3\8

On the second Mule, the holes are the following sizes...

Small Holes - 3\16
Lanyard Hole - 1\4
Large Holes - 3\8




Now, there is one other issue to consider...

The Mules, as manufactured, may demonstrate some excess material in the holes that you want to use to attach scales. You may have to file, grind, or sand a burr, slag or excess material out of the holes so that your hardware will fit.

In the case of my ZDP-189 Mule, I placed my Mule on a firm surface, with a hole in the work surface, just under the hole in the Mule, that I was putting the hardware into. Then with light taps, I drove the hardware through the hole. But, this is a brute method, and should be undertaken with caution. As a consequence of fitting the hardware this way, the hardware will have to be driven out to be removed.

I hope this helps...

Best,
Marion