Blade Serrations Crucial or Useless?

Triquetra

Triquetra

Joined
Mar 7, 2002
Messages
759
Just wondering how important or useful serrations on a survival/camping knife blade are (crucial, helpful, useless). I know that several brands include them but others that are highly acclaimed (Swamp Rat, Becker, Helle, etc) don’t have them.
 
IMO..useless.

I've cut everything from rope to seatbelts when I was an EMT, and I have yet to see one that couldn't be cut with a plain edge.
 
I agree.

I've yet to find a cutting task that left me wanting a serrated blade.

Might it take slightly more strokes to cut heavy line with a properly sharpened plain edge blade? Probably. But I'm willing to trade that off for improved performance in the other 99% of situations.
 
I prefer blades without them as well. Serrations are not saw blades. Some saw back blades work rather well within their scope. I prefer a very sharp plain edge all the way. Mac
 
Serrations work well if you are slicing through something using a sawing motion, but for every other use they get in the way. They are also a big hastle and require specialized hones to sharpen. Their biggest advantage is for people (otherwise known as "persons of dull"or dullards) who never sharpen their knives. Even when severely neglected serrated knives retain some slicing/sawing capacity. I avoid serrated knives like the plague.
 
I do a lot of outdoor activities and when canoeing I always carry a rescue knife on my vest with serrations an in the car for a seatbelt. ropes and webbing can be cut with a plain edge but I have yet to see a plain edge rip through safet webing or a mantled rope as fast as and effortlessly as a serrated edge. That said I don't carry serrated edges on my EDCs so a serrated edge IMO is most usefull to me in certain cases like when fiborous material or cordage has to be dispatched quickly.

Abe
 
a good place for serrations is when the knife has another side with a plain edge kinda like the M-9 bayonet with the serrations on the blade spine. me? id rather have a saw like on the beck WSK instead of serrations.
serrations are really good for knife fighting, and cutting small limbs of a tree, but thats about it.
 
My Endura and River Shorty both cut rope without sawing. I have sawn through a fiberglass paddle handle with the Shorty during a rescue. A plain edge would have been useless and drowning was a real issue. I use my Endura for 'common' tasks pretty regularly, but then maybe I am a dullard. :mad:
 
My .02...

Serations work on less than solid things that have a bit of flex. They cut faster on that type stuff. They work well on fishing line, catch it in a groove... snip, done.

The problem? If its hard like plastic they dont knaw into it. If its to soft they tear the material!

I reach for my plain edge on 99% of the stuff I'm cutting... the other 1% I reach for a hacksaw! :p
 
canranger said:
I do a lot of outdoor activities and when canoeing I always carry a rescue knife on my vest with serrations an in the car for a seatbelt. ropes and webbing can be cut with a plain edge but I have yet to see a plain edge rip through safet webing or a mantled rope as fast as and effortlessly as a serrated edge. That said I don't carry serrated edges on my EDCs so a serrated edge IMO is most usefull to me in certain cases like when fiborous material or cordage has to be dispatched quickly.

Abe
Click to expand...

The serations catch on the small lines and slice through with pressure... thats the saving grace of the serations... :D
 
Merek Its funny you should mention those two knive Endura nad sharty I just finished writinng an article on Canoe and Kayak knives and the Salt and Shorty were in there. For carrying the Endura onyour vest RiverCity sheaths make and excellent folder sheath. The sheath carries under the hollow of the life jacket arm pit.
 
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