Combo edge

Popsickle

Popsickle

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I have the chance to purchase a knife at a fantastic discount NIB, but it’s a combo edge. What are the pro and con of a combo edge? I’ve always gone only plain edge.
 
Pros:
The serrated edge may not cut pretty, but by using a sawing action, it will cut longer than a plain edge.
So you got both.

Cons:
IMO, typically you don't get enough of each type of edge to be really useful.
Also I find I like to do most of my cutting at the base of the blade, right where most makers put the serrations. So I feel like I'm losing one of the best parts of the blade.

But, I really don't care for serrations and you should get an opinion from somebody who does like them.
 
I'm probably one of the few who do not mind combo edge. The serrations if done right will cut cleanly on meat, and aggressively on rope or fibrous material. I dont mind a combo whatsoever. What knife did you buy?! As usual curiosity has taken over. On another note I'm pretty sure you are the guy that showed me that mass drop edc organizer a loving time ago. I bought one for my father. Just wanted to give you a long belated thank you.
 
For certain tasks, the aft end of the blade is most used; for example I would not attempt to whittle with a combo edge blade.
However, I do like combo edges blades - particularly if they are long enough to give me a sufficiently long plain edged section to cut food, open envelopes and other EDC tasks. Serrated edges can't be beat for fibrous materials like rope, cardboard or seat belts. A given length of blade area, if serrated, will have more cutting edge than the same length of plain blade. Serrations are more of a PITA to sharpen but require sharpening less frequently. Serrations, if done right, (Spyderco, Emerson and some others) "cut" well even though they look like they would "saw."

I've tried to mediate a truce by leaving the after sectio of my plain edged knives more coarse and "toothy" and while it does make some amount of minor difference - it can't compare to good serrations.
 
I have a couple combo edge knives and I don't really like them much. I could go as far as saying that I regret buying them. They were also oportunities... that I should have let pass....

Mikel
 
IMHO the key to a making peace with a combo edge or even a serrated edge is that you typically can't be anal retentive about edge maintenance as you would be with a plain edge. They are more difficult to keep "perfect" than a smooth plain edge and obviously dont tend to cut as cleanly.

However, they just dont ever go dull, or at least dull enough to not rip and tear through something. How old are the steak knives in your drawer? How many times have you pulled them across a hard ceramic plate? When was the last time you sharpened them?

Combo edges at least give you the option to keep part of the edge honed to a fine and super sharp edge. However, short of never being able sharpen my knife for some reason, I dont gravitate toward serrations. They make decent pocket saws, and own a few. However I never purchased them BECAUSE of the edge.
 
I don’t especially care for combo edges but I can see a need for them. A firefighter friend of mine loves them.

I own one. No, I take that back. I own two. A cheap Fury that rides on the belt of my CERT gear and a full size Griptilian that should end up in my tool bag or bug out bag.

If you can see a need for one, buy it. I personally prefer a plain edge or an edge that is fully separated.
 
I used to have a light weight combo edge folder for backpacking (haven’t seen it for a while).

It had a slight bias for length on the serrated portion which made it awesome for 550 cord and rope (which is why I bought it). The plain edge portion was just long enough to get started when cleaning a trout and “good enough” for random camp chores.

For general EDC I prefer plane edge by a mile, but my combo edge was a pretty good purpose-specific knife.
 
The majority of combo edges are made wrong imho. Most have the serrations after the plain edge. You know towards the handle. I think they should be at the front of the blade towards the point. Much more useful I think.

PS I think some of the best serrated teeth were made by EKI, the dragons teeth serrations. Least ways my opinion. Don't know EKI makes the dragon teeth style anymore.
 
longbow said:
The majority of combo edges are made wrong imho. Most have the serrations after the plain edge. You know towards the handle. I think they should be at the front of the blade towards the point. Much more useful I think...
Click to expand...

Look into the new Soldier 08 model from Victorinox It has serrations on the forward half of the blade, leaving the back half plain. It is a nice touch once you get used to it.
 
Most serations are only on one side of the blade. So they tend to pull the knife one way or the other when slicing.

I’m not a fan of combo edges, but you should try one for yourself.
 
Everyone so far has given an excellent opinion with all valid reasons of with or without.

I would first ask you in what way do you plan to use it, and what kind of knife it is. If it’s an OTF Auto, you need to be careful upon retraction not to imbed debris into the action.

A side opening, whether or not it’s an automatic or any other opening style, you can use it and close it with less attention to detail, regarding debris being on the serrations.

If it’s a fixed blade, your good to go.

If your going to just EDC carry it, and just use it for daily normal things, you don’t really need the serrations.

If your going to EDC and constantly be using it for tougher cutting jobs, that’s where serrations excel.

I was a lineman for awhile and a straight edge was more than enough for work, a serrated would have been a pain to use. As a 30 driver, 15 years with a straight edge was adequate, weekly sharpening was needed, but the second 15 years a serrated excelled and was so much easier. Both I used as work tools probably 50 times a day, and the serrations were so welcomed on heavy strapping and shrink wrapped skids.

So for me being retired now, serrated is very natural to work with, but not used that often anymore. But when a heavier cutting task is called for, I am glad I still carry a half serrated.

The serrations when used for heavy or thick cutting will do the job much easier than a straight edge. But if you accidentally cut yourself with a serrated, it’s much more nasty than a straight blade.

This is just my first hand experience using both types.
 
Everything else the same, to me a knife of a combo edge is an immediate 15% off in terms of value as compared to its counterpart of a plain edge.
 
Steely_Gunz hit the nail on the head.

Long after your plain-edge portion of blade is dull and simply refuses to cut, the serrated portion of blade will probably still get the job done.
 
Many of my earlier knives were combo edge. I thought "best of both worlds!". Most of my daily cutting tasks don't require serrations. As someone who enjoys hand sharpening knives, like SALTY SALTY said, pain in the butt to sharpen.

If it really is a good deal, go for it. See for yourself if a combo edge works for you.
 
In use, for me, they don't make much of a difference. However I absolutely despise how they look...
 
Nothing wrong with a combo edge in the right knife for the right uses. I find them very useful for doing a lot of yard work, in the garage, etc, where there is a good chance I’m gonna be cutting through rope, fibrous materials, or other things that might take a little sawing at. Remember getting the dirtbike tangled in some brush once, and a straight edge would have never cut all the vines and weeds out of the frame and pegs.

But for me, it has to be at least a 3.5” blade. Too much shorter than that, and neither edge is long enough to really be usable.
 
jaseman said:
...But for me, it has to be at least a 3.5” blade. Too much shorter than that, and neither edge is long enough to really be usable.
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I just had a similar thought. My biggest complaint about combo edges is that I don’t have enough of either edge to do what I want.

On a 3 1/2 inch blade I would like 3 inches of plain edge and a half inch serrated. Better yet give me a 4 inch blade with 1 inch serrated.

Come to think of it, that might be a little large. I don’t remember ever owning a four inch folder.

I did some mods on a Gerber multi-tool a few years ago. One item was to remove the combo monstrosity and replace it with a full serrated blade. Works like a champ.

If I carry a MT, it is in addition to my plain edge folder.
 
sabre cat said:
On a 3 1/2 inch blade I would like 3 inches of plain edge and a half inch serrated. Better yet give me a 4 inch blade with 1 inch serrated.
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I’d actually take 2.5” plain edge, and a full inch of serrated. Anything less, and the serrations are useless to me in most cases.

I did some mods on a Gerber multi-tool a few years ago. One item was to remove the combo monstrosity and replace it with a full serrated blade. Works like a champ.

If I carry a MT, it is in addition to my plain edge folder.
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It’s funny you mention a Gerber MT. The blade on my Crucial is exactly why I dislike small combo edges. At less than 2”, there just isn’t enough edge for both. The serrations are almost a full inch, which is useful for most tasks, but the plain edge is just to short to really do much of anything useful in a working environment. I know the Crucial is a bit of a compromise itself as MT’s go, but the blade should really be one or the other.

The BG Ultimate is another example of a poorly executed combo edge. At almost 5” overall, those serrations take up almost half the blade, and most of the prime cutting edge where you’d want some slicing capability.

sZfDck5.jpg
 
jaseman said:
I’d actually take 2.5” plain edge, and a full inch of serrated. Anything less, and the serrations are useless to me in most cases.



It’s funny you mention a Gerber MT. The blade on my Crucial is exactly why I dislike small combo edges. At less than 2”, there just isn’t enough edge for both. The serrations are almost a full inch, which is useful for most tasks, but the plain edge is just to short to really do much of anything useful in a working environment. I know the Crucial is a bit of a compromise itself as MT’s go, but the blade should really be one or the other.

The BG Ultimate is another example of a poorly executed combo edge. At almost 5” overall, those serrations take up almost half the blade, and most of the prime cutting edge where you’d want some slicing capability.

sZfDck5.jpg
Click to expand...


Yeah but those serrations will cut a lemon peel into the cutest shape to drop into an absolutely glacial stirred vodka martini at the 5 star resort Bear would stay at while filming a "survival" episode where he licks bat guano off cave walls or something;)
 
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