Commander: with or without serrations

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Feb 6, 2014
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My next Emerson will most likely be a Commander, the regular size one. I'm seeking opinions on whether or not to get it with serrations.

I know some of you like serrations and get them on most or all of your knives, while others of you feel they're useless and avoid them. I tend to like serrations and get them on most knives.

I've never owned a recurve blade before, so I'm not familiar with how they handle. So I'm looking for opinions. Does the recurve blade tend to make serrations more or less relevant, or is it still just personal preference?
 
I am a fan of serrations for the reason, it or they give me extra power to cut rope. I have carried a Spyderco Rescue Jr., for years that was full serrated, and it was a wonderful tool until it was replaced by the CQC-7 & Commander I currently carry. Not both, one or the other.
 
The recurve blades pull material into the cut. I'd stay away from serrations on that type of blade but that's just my opinion.
 
I prefer plain edge , if I were to haft to have serrations it'd probably be on a recurve . Personally I think serrations get in the way though.

I've owned commanders in both though. If I were day a cop or firefighter then I'd go combo edge. Regular guy with regular edc cutting plain edge all day long.

On a recurve depending on how you use it the blade gets pushed into the cut . Combo edge you start your cut with serrations and your left with a little plain edge area.

If I had to go combo edge it'd be a super Commander
 
I don't own a Commander because the blade is just too massive in its regular size. It scales down perfectly for my micro-Commander however. :) My favorite "small folder."

When I HAVE considered full-size or Uber Commanders though, I always thought I'd get a serrated version only because it takes so much of the re-curve I wouldn't have to worry about sharpening/stropping the curve like I would in a plain edge version.
 
My personal preference on Commanders is to have the serrations.

Over the years I have owned at least 20 different Commanders ( my favorite Emerson obviously :) ) and all of them with the exception of 2 have been partially serrated, with the recurve shape of the blade it's just what I prefer.

That being said, my current carry is a 2000 plain edged Commander... waveless :D
 
full blade of serrations or full plain edge for myself. half and half i find harder and more time consuming to sharpen and only half a blade isn't as useful for myself. too each their own though.
 
Ernest Emerson has said that he prefers serrations on the Commander?

I'm not so sure that Mr. Emerson said he prefers serrations specifically on the Commander, he is a fan of serrations in general because according to him they stay sharper longer... and don't bother asking me where I saw that at because I can't remember if I read that in a magazine that interviewed Mr. Emerson or it was something that he posted on the internet... old age catching up to me to me I guess.
 
I like a partially serrated edge on the right sized knife. My biggest problem with serrations is not with the serrations, but with trying to fit them on a blade that's too short to have an effective combination edge. A blade less than 3" long that's supposed to give usable serrations and a usable PE portion is... um... well... useless for my needs. Now serrations on a longer blade, especially a recurve blade like a full-sized Commander, are a very effective cutting option. I had a fully serrated Caly 3 once and really liked it. I didn't like the fact that I only had a serrated edge on that knife so I sold it.

The Next full-sized Commander I get will be a PS blade. The belly of the recurve gives me plenty of plain edged cutting surface. That's what I use 90% of the time that I cut with a Commander. I rarely use the recurve part for cutting. If the recurve has a serrated surface, that gives me another option for cutting the materials that will benefit from a serrated edge (stems, zip ties, line, computer cabling, etc.).
 
I like a partially serrated edge on the right sized knife. My biggest problem with serrations is not with the serrations, but with trying to fit them on a blade that's too short to have an effective combination edge. A blade less than 3" long that's supposed to give usable serrations and a usable PE portion is... um... well... useless for my needs. Now serrations on a longer blade, especially a recurve blade like a full-sized Commander, are a very effective cutting option.

I completely agree, Dale. Although I prefer a plain edge, I do have serrations on my Journeyman and my Super Commander -- for me, they are strictly work knives. Even though I carry other Emersons to work and use them, I'm a bit particular as to what knife can take serrations and yet still function as a combo blade work knife.
 
I prefer plain edge for most of my knives as I can always put micro serrations on a section of the blade if need be. Just about every one of my EDC rotation is PE.

That said, knives I dive with and use fishing and around the boat have serrations, or at least partial serrations.

I am thinning the herd on knives that haven't seen much daylight in a while so check out the PE Commander I am selling.

Linky is in my signature.
 
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Yes, Ernest stated that serrations just make sense.
But, get the blade YOU like. Sharp edges, of all kinds, cut.
rolf
 
...I am thinning the herd on knives that haven't seen much daylight in a while so check out the PE Commander I am selling.

Linky is in my signature.

I saw that, SALTY. Even gave it some serious thought. But I decided that I really do want a PS blade so I can use the Commander as my yard/woods work knife around the property. I've got so many young trees & bushes coming up that I'm constantly trimming, that it just makes sense to carry a large enough blade with a combo edge to handle the chores.

Best wishes with the sale, though. That Commander looks pristine and the ceramic coating on the blades was supposed to be really special.
 
Dale, if I am not mistaken, I think EKI will add partial serrations to a PE blade, you may want to check with them.

In fact, I thought at one time that I remember reading that all their knives start life as a PE knife and then are actually disassembled and serrations are added before re-assembling.
 
Here is the deal with serrations once you have they they can not be removed. Order knife without, and after the fact it is possible to add them by sending knife to EKI.

I personally think serrations give a little extra cutting power when cutting rope. But I am no expert, I just happen to like the serrations that EKI offeres on most model for a little extra cutting power.
 
Serrations do add cutting power, especially in fibrous materials - albeit at the expense of some extra effort in sharpening, when they do eventually need sharpening.
 
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