Cricket, Serrated or Plain Edge

N

nitroice0069

Joined
Dec 2, 2004
Messages
27
Hi, I am planning on getting Spyderco Cricket as a small knife for opening boxes and mail, I will also use it to open clamshell packing etc. I was curious which blade style, serrated or plain edge, would work better for these task. Also if you believe another knife would work better for these task please feel free to suggest it.

Thanks for your help,
JamEs
 
The SS PE is great. Very slim and easy to sharpen with a round rod. I carry this model as a money clip and have used it pretty hard. The lock-up is fantastic. One side benefit of the PE is that non-knife folks think it's cute.
 
For opening boxes and mail, a PE Cricket will do very nicely, while being reasonably easy to sharpen. A Kiwi would be even better in both departments.

For clam packs, it is my personal opinion that NO knife is suitable, a pair of heavy duty scissors is much safer. The chance of slipping with a knife while cutting plastic that is both very tough and somewhat flexible is just too great, not to mention that the plastic itself becomes "weaponized" as you cut it and can give you a nastier cut than the knife.
 
Another downside of using a sharp spyderco instead of scissors vs. clampacks is that the knife might slip and cut much further than desired...cutting an important wire for example.:o Although not as fun, scissors seem the way to go for clampacks.
 
If you had to use a knife to open a clampack because you're on the go and not at home, which cricket would you use? Or would you use a kiwi?
 
Plain edge, the PE cricket is my most common EDC the reverse S I think helps with opening up the plastic packs compaired to a normal blade.
 
Have you had much trouble with the plastic eating up the edge? That's my only concern and reason for considering a SE cricket.
 
naw..I do touch it up time to time on the fine stones on my sharpmaker but thats all it needs.
 
I don't think it would matter for this type of cut, the benefits of serrated would be lost on clam packs as once the cut was started the plastic would likely stick to one serration point...shouldn't make a wit of difference. I believe either would stay on target well enough, more due to their hawkbill nose than anything else.
 
Points to consider. Clampacks tend to be extremely tough plastic. VG-10 is an excellent high performance steel, but like all such steels, tends to be a bit brittle. Thus, the chances of "breaking a tooth", or teeth, on a serrated edge is a distict possibility, as is damaging the relatively delicate "beak" on the Cricket. So, if I absolutely had to open a clam pack with a blade VG-10, and had to choose between a PE Cricket, a SE Cricket, and a Kiwi, I would select the Kiwi.
 
Thanks for all of the help. I decided I will get a Cricket. In a few weeks when I get so more money, due to spending it all on knives, I will get the Kiwi as well.

Thanks,

JamEs
 
James,
I have carried my FRN Cricket PE as an EDC for sometime and found that it serves every perpose i could have hoped for from a knife that size. I have often thought about getting a SS one as well, and even about getting it in SE. After a lot of thought i decided to stick to PE as it is easier to sharpen on what i already find to be a bit tricky of a blade shape. Either style will perform well, and soon you will find yourself praising the cricket non stop. One of my favorite production knives to date.
J
 
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