-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is available! Price is $250 ea (shipped within CONUS).
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/
.
- Thread starter JSZ
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2009
- Messages
- 13,507
I have a Spyderco Endura 4 Combo Edge, among others. This particular knife seems 'just right' for how I normally expect to use it, for tasks like cutting the occasional piece of rope or twine or vines from the trunks of trees on my property. The blade provides about 1-3/8" of serrations and 2" of plain edge out front, which is just enough of each to make this a very practical blade (for my purposes). I keep the plain edge portion as extremely sharp as possible, and it's very useful for opening packages/mail, cutting up boxes, etc. I think as long as there's enough total blade length (more than 3-1/2" or so, at least), a combo blade can be pretty useful. If the blade's any shorter, I would only want plain edge.
As my sharpening skills are continuously evolving and improving, I'm finding that I'm buying more plain-edged knives now. I've found that a plain-edged, high quality steel blade with a SCARY SHARP edge is just as useful (maybe more so) than a serrated or combo blade. But, having said that, I still have respect for a well designed combo blade. The Spyderco serrations are better than many others, in my opinion. Not quite as difficult or tedious to maintain, they're wide enough so as to make it easier to get a sharpener in there.
As my sharpening skills are continuously evolving and improving, I'm finding that I'm buying more plain-edged knives now. I've found that a plain-edged, high quality steel blade with a SCARY SHARP edge is just as useful (maybe more so) than a serrated or combo blade. But, having said that, I still have respect for a well designed combo blade. The Spyderco serrations are better than many others, in my opinion. Not quite as difficult or tedious to maintain, they're wide enough so as to make it easier to get a sharpener in there.
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2009
- Messages
- 1,000
I think the reason people here don't care for CE blades is that they keep their knives sharp. Serrations have an advantage of cutting passably with longer periods between sharpenings. Serrations are not necessary most of the time, if your blade is sharp.
I have a partially serrated ZT0650st that I carry on a fairly regular basis (because PE is not available). Ninety percent of the time, I don't notice the serration's presence. They are a hindrance when I'm trying to make large precise cuts, and of course they're annoying when sharpening. I've never cut anything with that knife that I've been glad to have serrations.
The only time I want serrations is rock climbing. I use them to tear through old crappy webbing and rope. I carry a small, fully-serrated, blade (rescom) for this. It's the equivalent of just the serrated section on a CE knife, but it's much smaller and lighter.
So I'd say use the right tool for the job. Plain edge for most tasks, and fully serrated when you know it'll be convenient.
Phillip
I have a partially serrated ZT0650st that I carry on a fairly regular basis (because PE is not available). Ninety percent of the time, I don't notice the serration's presence. They are a hindrance when I'm trying to make large precise cuts, and of course they're annoying when sharpening. I've never cut anything with that knife that I've been glad to have serrations.
The only time I want serrations is rock climbing. I use them to tear through old crappy webbing and rope. I carry a small, fully-serrated, blade (rescom) for this. It's the equivalent of just the serrated section on a CE knife, but it's much smaller and lighter.
So I'd say use the right tool for the job. Plain edge for most tasks, and fully serrated when you know it'll be convenient.
Phillip
- Joined
- Jul 16, 2009
- Messages
- 739
I don't prefer it. I usually find that I don't have enough serration or plain edge to make me happy. I like my knives to be all or nothing.
I EDC a combo edge SOG Flash 1. I like the combo blade, it's useful sometimes... but I wouldn't get it on a new knife if I had the choice. Not really sure why, I just prefer the plain edge versions. I don't really notice the serrations detracting from anything when I'm using the knife, so...
i like having a few blades in combo edge and i do prefer that kind of blade in a edc...serrations RIP through cardboard like butter...i also favor a combo edge on me when fishing streams, as the serrations saw thru those branches that tangle on all the lousy casts i make...
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2006
- Messages
- 10,795
Spot on.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2006
- Messages
- 4,090
Combo edge is only good for sharpening pencils. Plain edge is easier to sharpen, full serrated behaves like a serrated knife. Half and half is neither fish nor foul--all the bad features of each style with not enough of the good.
If you're cutting a lot of rope, vines or want a slashing battle knife, go full serrated. For everything else go plain edge.
If you're cutting a lot of rope, vines or want a slashing battle knife, go full serrated. For everything else go plain edge.
i dont care for CE at all, its been years since i bought one of those, i'd rather have a PE or SE, one way or another, vs a CE.
why?
mostly because on most knives ya dont have enough of one or the other to do anything with, and a SE wont really do anything a PE wont, i do like the looks of the SE on some knives like the spydie police or civilian, but its all about the looks not that i think the SE is gonna do something the PE wont.
imho a SE's main advantage is that they hold an edge well but thats also offset by the fact that when they do dull they are a PITA to sharpen, as far as cutting other than maybe if ya cut a lot of rope or boxes PE works just as well for most anything, and better for some stuff.
why?
mostly because on most knives ya dont have enough of one or the other to do anything with, and a SE wont really do anything a PE wont, i do like the looks of the SE on some knives like the spydie police or civilian, but its all about the looks not that i think the SE is gonna do something the PE wont.
imho a SE's main advantage is that they hold an edge well but thats also offset by the fact that when they do dull they are a PITA to sharpen, as far as cutting other than maybe if ya cut a lot of rope or boxes PE works just as well for most anything, and better for some stuff.
- Joined
- Jan 4, 1999
- Messages
- 3,000
The concept of serrations comes from the kitchen knife business. Their purpose is to shield at least part of the blade from the cutting board so that the knife will dull more slowly. It is the cutting board that does the major job of dulling a kitchen knife, not so much the food. So the serrated edge became popular with people who can't or won't sharpen blades because the blades lasted longer.
In a sporting knife it doesn't have as much utility simply because sporting knives aren't used against a cutting board very often. However the advantage of keeping part of the blade away from cutting surfaces still exists and a serrated blade will cut longer than a plain edge without any maintenance.
The downside is that the serrated blade is way, way, way more fussy to sharpen so people that do sharpen their blades prefer not to have them simply because it is more convenient.
It isn't any more complicated than that. The general rule of thumb is that the plain edge is better for people who maintain their edges and the serrated is better for those that do not.
In a sporting knife it doesn't have as much utility simply because sporting knives aren't used against a cutting board very often. However the advantage of keeping part of the blade away from cutting surfaces still exists and a serrated blade will cut longer than a plain edge without any maintenance.
The downside is that the serrated blade is way, way, way more fussy to sharpen so people that do sharpen their blades prefer not to have them simply because it is more convenient.
It isn't any more complicated than that. The general rule of thumb is that the plain edge is better for people who maintain their edges and the serrated is better for those that do not.