Fully Serrated Blade Opinions

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WoodenChicken

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Sep 11, 2008
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I have primarily purchased plain edge blades, and a few combo edge when I first started buying knives. Recently I saw a fully serrated blade (Spyderco) that looked interesting. I am wondering if fully serrated makes a good EDC, and/or, what pros or cons from your experience. Thank you in advance for any comments.
 
Based on cutting demonstrations I've seen through clothing I would not recommend serrated for EDC self-defense purposes. Even with sharp serrated knives there is the tendency to have the blade snag and get hung-up on clothing.
 
I look at fully serrated knives as to special purpose for me to use an EDC.

I have carried a fully serrated bladed knife as a secondary carry to a plain edge bladed knife, though.
 
I've carried a fully serrated Spyderco Salt 1 for about five years now as my primary EDC.

I work in an auto parts store, and it has handled anything and everything I've thrown at it!

It works great for breaking down cardboard boxes, it opens up those plastic blister packs that everything seems to come in these days, and I've even used it to cut away corroded battery cable ends.

I've cut away automotive belts that have broken and gotten tangled up in the customers pulleys. This is something I wouldn't want to do with a plain-edge blade, especially when the customer's engine is red-hot! The serrated edge just grabs and cuts through very quickly.

Oh, and everytime we change a planogram on the sales floor, I've used it to cut away the plastic zip-ties that hold the wing-panels to the main shelves.

It really excells at that!

I've used it at the house to trim diseased leaves and stems from my rose bushes.

I've cut open burlap bags with it.

I've basically cut a lot of things with this knife that would have meant a trip to the sharp-maker with a plain-edge blade, yet the serrated-edge just keeps going!

There are a couple of cons to this blade.

First, the serrated edge can indeed get caught up in some materials and snag.

Second, for some people, sharpening a serrated edge can be intimidating.

It was for me, at first. But then, I bought a Spyderco Sharpmaker and never looked back.

Hope this helps,

Flinx
 
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Depends who's serrations they are. Spyderco serrated is a dream. Cuts through everything. Cold Steel I found to be good, too. Can't comment well on others.
 
Get the endura wave serrated. It has a unique, shallow and wide serration pattern that offers all of the performance of a normal SE, but without the snagging. Its also very fun to play with.

If you can constantly maintain a shaving sharp edge all of the time, the PE can handle pretty much everything. But, for most users, SE is the better configuration for most man made materials like rope, plastic wrap, fabric, and nylon webbing.
 
Ive used a Spyderco Rescue @ work for some time now. Cuts through anything. It was an issue item and I have no complaints. I wouldnt use it as an EDC, though. IMO serrated is mostly a specialty use item, though the combo blades are good alternatives if you have to have one. For EDC I prefer a normal edge as I find it is more versatile and easy to care for.
 
I like this:
mt118-21.jpg
 
I usually EDC a LM Wave so have choice of either style plus all the other tools. Most of the older guys in my shooting club also EDC LM's. Maybe there's a message there for you younger folk :cool:
 
i love full SE knives. i prefer my spyderco full SE.

49CE376847FB44CB918CA128BD7D3646.jpg


when i see a picture of plain edge spyderco police i am usually disgusted as it looks like it has been castrated
 
If I were to only carry one knife, it would be a plain edge. If I were to carry 2 knives (which I always do, not including my SAK), it's a plain edge and either a plain edge hawkbill (Spyderco Tasman Salt) or a fully serrated straight blade (Spyderco Atlantic Salt or Rescue 93mm).
 
My massive collection of serrated blade folders.

IMG_3654.jpg


Sure, the Gerber is a folding saw... but isn't that really what a fully serrated knife is? The Victorinox SAK 'One Handed Trekker' has less than the first 40% of it's liner locked main 'device' (It sure isn't a 'blade'.) as a single bevel knife. The serrations are one-sided, too. Oddly, it also has a saw!

My 'knives' are knives. These are the only folders I have that don't have a real blade. my only serrated fixed blade is the Gerber LMFII my son gave me last year. I have never seen the need for serrations in a main blade. Sure, I carry a Vic SAK Farmer because it also has a saw. The OHT's serrated blade was a surprise to me, however.

That Gerber folding saw is a Godsend when you need it camping. No pocket knife's serrations can compare. I see my son's insistence that a partially serrated blade can cut auto lap belts in an emergency - great for EMTs, I would suppose. Sales follow the lower interest. The combo blades are always the last of a model left. I'm glad we mostly have a choice, but that LMFII would have been mine long before had it been offered less the serrations.

Stainz
 
3mptin3ss said:
i love full SE knives. i prefer my spyderco full SE.

49CE376847FB44CB918CA128BD7D3646.jpg


when i see a picture of plain edge spyderco police i am usually disgusted as it looks like it has been castrated
Click to expand...

Very well said........ :cool:

Full SpyderEdge all the way :thumbup:
 
imho some knives just look better serrated, the spyderco police and civvy come to mind, imho the just dont look right PE.

properly sharpened SE or PE both work fine, probably 99% of customs designed for SD are PE though, in all my yrs i have seen only IIRC 2 SE customs,
 
I have a Spydie Endura that is the full serrated blade. It is a special purpose knife for me rather than EDC. But I frequently have it in my brief case/work bag for times when I need the serrations.
 
I carry a Spyderco Endura SE quite often, and love it. Get a Sharpmaker, and you'll have no trouble maintaining the edge, although you do need to be careful not to round the tip. This is a great knife, IMO.
 
First of all, combo edges blow. FS or not at all!

FS if you are working anywhere there is a danger you might get tangled in lines. FS for slashing in a self-defense situation.

PE everywhere else.
 
The only full SE knife I would recommend is the Endura. I have a SS ATR in SE, and it's pretty painful. That thing doesn't have serrations, it has teeth! (very deep serrations, it snags on just about anything). On top of that the last half inch is V ground plain edge, and is not lined up with the cutting points of the serrations. The result is when you are trying to slice something, the tip ends up making a completely separate cut to the one the teeth made. Very annoying.

The Endura on the other hand, has very gentle serrations (cuts smoothly) and virtually no plain portion on the tip, what is there is still chisel ground so it lines up with the serrations.
 
Thanks for the replies--now I have the Spyderco Manix 2 full serrated on the way! Looking forward to seeing and using that knife.:D
 
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