I purchased a Ritter Grip with a combo edge and still regret not buying the plain-edged "original" version. You can't baton effectively with a combo edge, so I nullified one of the primary functions the blade was designed to perform. The outdoors/wilderness guy needs a plain edge and the rescue guy needs serrrations. Broadly speaking.
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Disadvantages of a combo blade?
- Thread starter Bill S.
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2006
- Messages
- 1,277
I really prefer fully serrated, or plain edge. Combo edges are just a poor compromise. I own a few but I avoid them. The can be useful in a rescue knife, but thats not my profession.
coolhand68
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2006
- Messages
- 1,373
I find the serrations come in useful when cutting weeds or vines in the yard. Some knifemakers put too much serration on their blade though. You only need about an inch of serration on a combo edge. I like Benchmade's partial serration blades. I have a 720S and it's one of my favorites.
In my side by side comparisons using a fully serrated and a plain edge knife to do all the things I typically do with a knife, I haven't found anything where the SE dominates the PE. So I would consider that there are even serrations on the blade to be a disadvantage.
Another thing that particularly sticks out to me is most CE blades have serrations near the ricasso, which is the ideal spot to use when whittling and carving wood. In most cases for this task PE excels over SE.
I'll use CE and SE blades but I haven't found any reason to pick them over PE blade, except for one reason that does not apply to me. A dulled SE blade cuts much better than a dulled PE blade, but the point is moot if you keep your blades sharp as most members here do.
However, if your uses match the capabilities of serrations better than mine, do not look solely at blade length when buying your CE blade. For example, compare a Boker Trance CE to a Spyderco Military in CE. They differ in blade length by about an inch, but the total serration area on each knife is roughly the same, with the Millie having maybe 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch more serrated cutting edge. Not as big of a difference as the total blade length would suggest.
Another thing that particularly sticks out to me is most CE blades have serrations near the ricasso, which is the ideal spot to use when whittling and carving wood. In most cases for this task PE excels over SE.
I'll use CE and SE blades but I haven't found any reason to pick them over PE blade, except for one reason that does not apply to me. A dulled SE blade cuts much better than a dulled PE blade, but the point is moot if you keep your blades sharp as most members here do.
However, if your uses match the capabilities of serrations better than mine, do not look solely at blade length when buying your CE blade. For example, compare a Boker Trance CE to a Spyderco Military in CE. They differ in blade length by about an inch, but the total serration area on each knife is roughly the same, with the Millie having maybe 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch more serrated cutting edge. Not as big of a difference as the total blade length would suggest.
When thinking of combo edges, a picture comes to mind. That of a knife factory where experts are grinding away the final primary grind of the knife. It's 5pm, a whistle blows, everybody drops what they're doing, grabs their empty lunch pails, and runs out the door.
Some workaholic walks by the grinding benches and scoops up several dozen "half-finished" knives....... the combo edge..... serrations.... are born.
Why are they more expensive when half the job was left undone? It is reminescent of the price of diesel vs. regular unleaded.
Give me a finished knife, I say! A finished knife! Do your job! FINISH THE KNIFE!
Some workaholic walks by the grinding benches and scoops up several dozen "half-finished" knives....... the combo edge..... serrations.... are born.
Why are they more expensive when half the job was left undone? It is reminescent of the price of diesel vs. regular unleaded.
Give me a finished knife, I say! A finished knife! Do your job! FINISH THE KNIFE!