EDC serrations or no?

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WereWolf185

Joined
Sep 19, 2012
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Hey all just wondering your thoughts on serrations. In my EDC knife I have a CRKT my thighe that I love. It is spring assist that I like for self defense stuff and just because it is cool. Gerber DPSF for the s30v steel and not too "pointy" serrations. I have had bad luck with pointy ones snapping or chipping when I work them hard. The my tighe has VEFF serrations that I like because they cut very nicely and are heavy duty.

Reason I ask is because I rarely find any need to actually have the serrations but sometimes need a "longer" draw to cut? Did not know if any of you guys had suggestions or pros and cons?

Cheers gents.

-Werewolf
 
I don't like serrations at all, they rip instead of cut. A smooth edge is a lot easier to keep sharp too, serrations are a pain to sharpen.
 
I only EDC plain edges and usually in flat grind if offered. Also I prefer drop point/modified sheeps foot and tent to stay away from tanto points if I can, just cause its more of a pain to [hand] sharpen and a tanto blade (atleast to me) just looks more like a "evil weapon". Serrations also make a blade more scary looking, especially full serrations, but the main reason I try to stick with plain edge is cause of my cutting needs.

So to sum up my answer to your question- I prefer plain edge however I own and use a few full serrated edge knives and when the task at hand calls for it I'm glad to have one, I absolutely hate combo edges.
 
I prefer plain edge just for the ease of sharpening. Serrations do have their uses in certain applications but those pro's just don't outweigh the sharpening con for me. I am OCD about my blade sharpness, so I have my hands full just working with plain edges.
 
combo edge is a no-no for me. I do have a select few with them and I never carry them, I prefer my plain edge knives. Full serrated blades are definitely useful when working with cardboard or rope on a regular basis but for the majority of tasks plain edge wins.
 
I prefer plain edge also, but I've had some awesome serrated edge knives.

On this forum or another, I read that Ernest Emerson said to someone that every knife you own/have doesn't need to be serrated, but ONE does. I'd say that sums up my feelings also.

(*And did Ernest say that, or is it a paraphrase of the joke "If you want something to sound really wise, tell the it was Ben Franklin who said it"... ie..."If you want something to sound really wise in the knife world, tell everyone Ernest Emerson said it...") :D
 
cards94 said:
just say no to serrations. :D
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Ditto on that my friend.

I've never see a properly sharpened PE cut worse the a serrated edge.

But for those that don't care for there edges a serrated edge has it's advantages.

It all depends on the user and the task at hand.




Big Mike
 
Big Mike said:
Ditto on that my friend.

I've never see a properly sharpened PE cut worse the a serrated edge.

But for those that don't care for there edges a serrated edge has it's advantages.

It all depends on the user and the task at hand.




Big Mike
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Yep. I'm not particularly fond of serrated knives for EDC but I do have a couple in my collection that I use for specific tasks. It is hard to beat a serrated knife for cutting rope or the like. It can be done, and some plain edged knives do it well if properly sharpened, but for MY real world applications, serrated works nicely on some specific tasks.

That said, the very vast majority of my knife use requires nothing more than a plain edge, which I prefer. The serrated knives come out rarely. YMMV. :)
 
Do you need it?

I have never needed the serrated part and avoid them.


As for rope cutting, in my experience a highly polished plain edge simply eats into the rope where a serrated edge needs to be 'sawed'. I choose polished plain over serrated for rope, but is that just me?
 
HwangJino said:
...As for rope cutting, in my experience a highly polished plain edge simply eats into the rope where a serrated edge needs to be 'sawed'. I choose polished plain over serrated for rope, but is that just me?
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Yep. Assuming that was in reply to my comment, I specifically addressed that point about plain edges vs serrations when I said:

It is hard to beat a serrated knife for cutting rope or the like. It can be done, and some plain edged knives do it well if properly sharpened, but for MY real world applications, serrated works nicely on some specific tasks.
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So, is it just you? No. It is just differences in approach to a task at hand. Big Mike kinda nailed it when he said that it depends on the user and the task at hand. That is, IMHO, exactly right. :)

I also mentioned that I use them rarely and that YMMV. Used the words that I did for a specific reason to convey a specific POV. I hope that clarifies my point.
 
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SaintlyBrees said:
Big Mike kinda nailed it when he said that it depends on the user and the task at hand. That is, IMHO, exactly right. :)
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Especially the task at hand...
I hate combo edges. Avoid them like the plague normally.
However, I have a few as those knives were discontinued and available no other way.

My CQC-12 is one of those. At the lab a few weeks back the serrated part was essential to "sawing" through a hose with an elbow connector busted of in it. Plain edge just slid off with nary a scratch; serrations worked their way through.

So there you have it, grudging praise of a combo edge from an avowed combo edge hater. :D
 
And full-serrated kicks serious ass when done right; I need another full-serrated Spyderco Military (sprint run, hint hint ;)).
 
All or none. A fully serrated knife excels at tasks where delicacy and finesse aren't required. But a combo edge typically doesn't give you enough to give you enough of that advantage to compensate for the sacrifice of plain edge.
 
I like fully serrated, partially serrated, and plain edged knives for EDC. They all have their place, and what that place is depends on who you are and what kind of EDC system you're running.

I always have my fully serrated Cold Steel Super Edge on my keychain. However, it is never the only knife I carry. I also carry a SwissChamp on my belt in a leather sheath, and a big folder with a strong lock (almost always Cold Steel or Spyderco) as my primary knife.

This way, I always have the right knife for the job.
 
It also depends on who does the serrations. Spyderco does them the best, obviously. Benchmade's are OK. Microtech's are crap. Cold Steel's are absolutely terrible and incomprehensible. I can't comment on Kershaw's since it's been many years since I've owned one, and they do theirs differently now, but the old ones were pretty good. No experience with other companies that I can remember at the moment.
 
IMO it depends on the serrations and the knife. I have some knives in all three configurations, but prefer either full-plain or full-serrated. And lately my main EDC has been full-SE; more specifically, Spyderco SE Pacific or Tasman Salt. They serve my purposes very well for EDC, and they are easy to keep sharp, too. If I need a plain edge, I also carry a SAK and most of the time a Swisstool Spirit. At the moment I rarely carry my favorite PE knives...Umnumzaan, Military, PM2, Sebenza.

I don't like the Cold Steel-style serrations, nor other types that are too long/narrow/pointy that tend to stick a lot and tend to be fragile.

I have no problems keeping my PE or SE knives sharp.

Jim
 
I carry an Atlantic Salt whenever I go sailing and it's ideal. But it is an odd man out in my knife collection.
 
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