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Blades - Plain vs Combo vs Full Serrated

hilltopper

hilltopper

Joined
Oct 31, 2006
Messages
90
Greetings, I see EDC knives everyday listed with plain edge, combo edge, and full serrated eged. I do not understand why anyone would want a EDC in anything but a plain edge. How do you sharpen a serrated edge without sending it back to the factory. What is the serrated good for anyway? Ideas encourgaed.
 
I prefer plain edges too but serrated edges can be sharpened on any round stone (Spyderco Sharpmaker) or flat stone with corners. They are quite useful. I use them to cut heavy materials like vinyl and 3/16 inch cardboard. Also they stay sharp longer then a plain edge. Yes, they will take you longer to sharpen but they are more suitable for cutting heavy materials.
 
I HAVE BOTH PLAIN AND COMBO EDGE AND PREFER THE COMBO. ITGIVES ME THE ABILITY TO CUT ON CARDBOARD,ROPE ETC. AND i STILL HAVE THE FRONT PART OF THE BLADE SHARP FOR ANY FINER STUFF.
 
JMO:

-PE for everyday allround use
-SE for plastic, cardboard, sheetmetal
-CE........*bullcrap*
 
I have used a serrated edge to cut through wire when I didn't have a wire cutter around but I have yetto be able to restore a serrated edge to its factory level sharpness.
 
With a set of Spyderco Sharpmaker rods and patience, I have been able to restore serrations on blades and even put them in others. It's no different, get the angle correct. It helps if the rod cross section matches.

Now that full flat ground blades are coming back in better knives, I've found them to cut just as easily in heavy materials as sawing through with serrations. It wasn't as easy with the old blades - they were hollow or saber ground, which left full thickness shoulders wedging in the cut. Then, serrations seemed to be a solution. Flat ground blades were better, just more expensive than a partially ground blade with quicky saw teeth and obtuse edges.
 
This thread made me think about it as I do need a serrated edge away from the kitchen from time to time. Have a little SOG fully serrated pocket knife that works well. Just ordered a VIC Parachutist with both a large plain edge blade and the serrated seat belt cutter blade. That should take care of "choice". I prefer plain edge knives.
 
My primary use for serrated edges is trimming trees and shrubs. The serrated edge deals with green, sappy wood far more efficiently than a plain edge. It also cuts rope (especially wet poly braided rope) more easily, particularly when said rope is hanging where you can't brace it against something to push the blade through. All in all, I use serrated blades for maybe 10% of my cutting, probably a bit less.

Sharpening serrations is tedious and time-consuming, but not particularly difficult, at least for me. Fortunately, they usually stay sharp for a long time, so I don't have to do it often.

I am not a fan of combination edges at all, but opinions vary on that subject. Some love 'em, some hate 'em, only you can tell if it is right for you. My solution so far has been the Spyderco C44 Dyad, with a flat ground PE blade and a saber ground full serrated blade in one package ;)
 
Plain edge. Every time (Almost)

I hate combo edges, and avoid serrations like the plague other than the scalloped edge on the second blade of my original Swisstool. I find that serrartions on most blades are far too "toothy", they catch in the material I want to cut rather than pass through it however sharp I get them (and I can get them proper scary sharp) The scalloped edge on the Swisstool is a better option in my opinion, but I rarely use it.

OK, so I don't do a lot of cutting of wet ropes, perhaps the serrated edges would be good for that, but generally I find that a PROPERLY sharpened plain edge will cut anything I ask it to, and it's a damned sight easier to re-sharpen when it needs it than a serrated blade.
 
When cutting heavy plastic zip ties, a straight blade can't compare to a serrated blade.

rjd
 
I use a small pair of cutting pliers for that task. Knives really suck on zip ties, but I have never tried a serrated edge for that purpose.
 
I prefer plain edge. I also like a combo edge because of the extra cutting ability it gives me and because of the fact that when my brother and i were trying to reanact bottle cutting from sold proof with my Recon1 my brother missed the bottle and destroyed the plain part of the edge on the metal stand we were using so no i can only cut with the serrations well. That being said i hate fully serrated edges, their too hard to sharpen don't cut as cleanly
 
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