Fully Serrated has its limitations

[RayseM]

This is no surprise to most of you but for those unfamiliar with the goodness and/or downside of the full Spydie edge here is one man's limited experience - worth about 2¢

Here are my 2 Enduras -



Both VG-10 steel. The plain edge has been my EDC for the better part of 7 years. The Stainless serrated edge new for about a month. I really like them both. The Endura is a great workhorse of a folder in my experience.

My EDC use is as a cabinetmaker/furniture builder, installer of those, with some residential remodeling involved as the need arises to make by new cabinetry fit in its home. The knife gets used to sharpen my pencil, cut open packages, score and slice material - from cardboard to shrink-wrap to rope/lines of all kinds, wrapping around electrical wiring and some fine fitting of trim, and comes in handy at lunch time etc. On my off hours in the woods I build fires, harvest mushrooms & tree conks, clear overhangs on the trails and suckers off the yard bushes and harvest willow branches and an occasional tail off a critter that no longer needs it :roll eyes:.

What I now know about the fully serrated knife - EXCELLENT in the woods, not so much on the job. Other than for cutting rope/line the plain edge Endura far surpasses the serrated edge for all manner of on the job chores. Using the serrated knife I found myself sharpening my pencil with a chisel. The point of a pencil sharpened with a serrated knife is more - well - serrated

This may be stating the obvious but I thought I'd share nonetheless (it's a rainy day here on the coast).

Serrated = in the woods and on boats. Plain edge = pretty much everything else.

 

[carbonsteelfan]

It is good that you finally realized this. I used to EDC a serrated ATS-55 G-10 Harpy in the past as my only blade. I quickly realized what a poor choice this was. So l decided to Switch to a PE SS Delicate with a VG-10 blade instead.My recommendation to all my brother knife users is that if you only carry one knife ; it should have a straight plain edged blade with equal abilities in edge holding ; rust resistance ; toughness and ease of sharpening.

 

[SeaxyBeast]

So you're saying you like combo edges?

 

[Lycosa]

Winner!!! ^ lol!

 

[knifewing]

I'm not a big fan of full serrated blades or half & half combo edge blades. However, what I really like is a serrated blade that has a small portion of the edge near the tip left plain. For example, the first 3/4" of my Para 1 SE is PE as is the first 3/8" of the Dragonfly Salt SE. For my SE uses that's about perfect.

 

[JD Spydo]

Even though I'm a big fan of the Spyderedge ( Spyderco's distinct serration patterns) I will admit that I do most of my cutting jobs with a plain edged Spyder. But what I find Spyderedges to be good for I find them to be really great for many jobs.

I tend to agree with "Carbonsteelfan" in his observation>> Because I also carry a fully serrated Spyderco Hawkbill ( usually a Harpy) but merely as a companion blade to my main EDC which most of the time is a Spyderco plain edge >> and I have several PE models that I rotate>> the C-60 Ayoob probably gets the most pocket time>> and not a bad knife in Spyderedge too if you are lucky enough to find one.

But I will say this>> I can't get through the workday without using my Spyderedged companion blade at least twice a day and sometimes more than a half a dozen times during the course of a day. To me I like Spyderco not only for their impecable quality, super customer service but they also give you the best of both cutting edges ( SE & PE) which few other knife companies even attempt to do. And not to mention their premium sharpening equipment.

I see the point you're trying to make and it's a great observation for sure>> and not everyone needs a serrated knife. But I've yet to use a commercially made serrated knife better or even equal to Spyderco's>> so if you need one then Spyderco is the place you need to shop IMO

 

[blade man]

OP, what makes you like the serrated knife so well for the woods? What jobs do you find it does well in that environment?

 

[RayseM]

OP, what makes you like the serrated knife so well for the woods? What jobs do you find it does well in that environment?

The fully serrated is so good at slicing fiberous material such as I describe below (and above) that if I carry only a folder I would choose that one. I don't typically need smooth cutting in the woods, as much as aggressive. The sharp serrated edge handles all my woods chores. "On my off hours in the woods I build fires, harvest mushrooms & tree conks, clear overhangs on the trails and suckers off the yard bushes and harvest willow branches and an occasional tail off a critter that no longer needs it " Except for the tail removal bit I haven't used it for field dressing. I wouldn't expect the serrated edge to excel there - some aspect perhaps but not the tool I would reach for in that circumstance.

 

[blanex1]

i got a native 4 FRN in S30V with 3/4 serrated blade,this was my 1st serrated knife and my last,i only got it because i collect the native's,now that i have had a chance to work with it i can truly say i don't like serrated blades!i can't even get this sucker to push-cut any paper at all,no matter how i try to sharpen it,seat-belt's and rope it will cut fine but thats about it,oh and and boxis,but not in love with serrations at all.

 

[carbonsteelfan]

Even though I'm a big fan of the Spyderedge ( Spyderco's distinct serration patterns) I will admit that I do most of my cutting jobs with a plain edged Spyder. But what I find Spyderedges to be good for I find them to be really great for many jobs.

I tend to agree with "Carbonsteelfan" in his observation>> Because I also carry a fully serrated Spyderco Hawkbill ( usually a Harpy) but merely as a companion blade to my main EDC which most of the time is a Spyderco plain edge >> and I have several PE models that I rotate>> the C-60 Ayoob probably gets the most pocket time>> and not a bad knife in Spyderedge too if you are lucky enough to find one.

But I will say this>> I can't get through the workday without using my Spyderedged companion blade at least twice a day and sometimes more than a half a dozen times during the course of a day. To me I like Spyderco not only for their impecable quality, super customer service but they also give you the best of both cutting edges ( SE & PE) which few other knife companies even attempt to do. And not to mention their premium sharpening equipment.

I see the point you're trying to make and it's a great observation for sure>> and not everyone needs a serrated knife. But I've yet to use a commercially made serrated knife better or even equal to Spyderco's>> so if you need one then Spyderco is the place you need to shop IMO

Hey JD , for guys like us the Spyderco Dyad would be a pretty handly little package. One smooth blade. One serrated blade. I wish l had one. My girlfriend owns one. The ATS -55 blades work like a charm.

 

[RayseM]

i got a native 4 FRN in S30V with 3/4 serrated blade,this was my 1st serrated knife and my last,i only got it because i collect the native's,now that i have had a chance to work with it i can truly say i don't like serrated blades!i can't even get this sucker to push-cut any paper at all,no matter how i try to sharpen it,seat-belt's and rope it will cut fine but thats about it,oh and and boxis,but not in love with serrations at all.

It may not push cut paper but that is no reflection on its sharpness. Yes it sucks as a letter opener too, but you can saw through a 1" branch with no effort and rope or line of nearly any kind or strap is scared to death of a sharp serrated . You don't so much chop or push with it as pull it through the material. It would be the knife I would want if I ever had my arm caught between a boulder and a rock wall - remember that movie a year or so back? That poor bastid should of had a Spydie edge:thumbup:.

 

[vanslem6]

I love this little thing. I don't have any issues carrying only the Tasman.

Tree limbs and tire plugs today. I even cleaned it all up last night. I use the crap out of this thing, though.

 

[Lycosa]

"If you could only pick ONE."
Yep, a Spyderco serrated Salt.
rolf

 

[carbonsteelfan]

I love this little thing. I don't have any issues carrying only the Tasman.

Tree limbs and tire plugs today. I even cleaned it all up last night. I use the crap out of this thing, though.

How do you do wood carving , processing game or food prep with it. I used to EDC a G-10 handle ATS-55 Harpy as my only blade for quite a while ( 10 months ) . Then l took it with me to a Hunting trip in Africa , along with my Spyderco Delica and a 440c Robert Parrish Survival knife.
The Harpy couldn't whittle wood even passably well. It couldn't skin a wildebeest . It couldn't butcher it's flesh. In terms of food prep , the Harpy performed almost as bad. Serrated Hawkbills are like specialized knives. They can't do all utility tasks properly , but the ones they CAN do , they do incredibly well. For example , the Harpy was very useful for gutting the wildebeest after l put a .500 Nitro Express round though its heart. Gutting involves pull cutting , you see. Serrated Hawkbills excel at that from my 5 years hunting experience. It was incredibly useful for slicing rope at the camp site. The Delica , though was an All rounder. It could skin , gut and process game , carve wood and aid in food prep. It couldn't gut game or slice though rope AS effortlessly as the Harpy but was still easy to do . Don't get me wrong. I love Hawkbills . l use them very often , but l do think that they are limited in certain areas.

 

[vanslem6]

I've not run into any of those issues, personally.
I don't eat animals, so I certainly don't have a reason to cut them up. The food knives stay in the kitchen, where I prep the food. I've never carved wood before, to be completely honest. My grandfather did, however, for years. I don't remember ever seeing him use a knife - saws, drills, chisels, etc. I'm sure he had some knives, but they were likely made for carving wood.

 

[Lycosa]

Makes sense to me. ^

 

[RayseM]

How do you do wood carving , processing game or food prep with it. I used to EDC a G-10 handle ATS-55 Harpy as my only blade for quite a while ( 10 months ) . Then l took it with me to a Hunting trip in Africa , along with my Spyderco Delica and a 440c Robert Parrish Survival knife.
The Harpy couldn't whittle wood even passably well. It couldn't skin a wildebeest . It couldn't butcher it's flesh. In terms of food prep , the Harpy performed almost as bad. Serrated Hawkbills are like specialized knives. They can't do all utility tasks properly , but the ones they CAN do , they do incredibly well. For example , the Harpy was very useful for gutting the wildebeest after l put a .500 Nitro Express round though its heart. Gutting involves pull cutting , you see. Serrated Hawkbills excel at that from my 5 years hunting experience. It was incredibly useful for slicing rope at the camp site. The Delica , though was an All rounder. It could skin , gut and process game , carve wood and aid in food prep. It couldn't gut game or slice though rope AS effortlessly as the Harpy but was still easy to do . Don't get me wrong. I love Hawkbills . l use them very often , but l do think that they are limited in certain areas.

You agree with me then. That was the point of my thread. The serrated blade has its limitations. I'm still very happy to own one. I use it well to my advantage and to its strong points.

 

[carbonsteelfan]

I've not run into any of those issues, personally.
I don't eat animals, so I certainly don't have a reason to cut them up. The food knives stay in the kitchen, where I prep the food. I've never carved wood before, to be completely honest. My grandfather did, however, for years. I don't remember ever seeing him use a knife - saws, drills, chisels, etc. I'm sure he had some knives, but they were likely made for carving wood.

Oh , then a serrated Tasman salt should be more than adequate for your EDC purposes. But you see , the tasks l listed , DO nessecitate the use of a straight plain edge blade.
P.S : l see you are a vegetarian. I apologize if my meat cutting or hunting statements offended you in anyway. I honestly didn't know.But about food preparation l will say this : When camping or on hunting or fishing trips , it is rather difficult to carry multiple knives , so l usually carry just one or two general purpose utility knives that can do all tasks fairly well. I find straight , plain edge blades best for those things.And in regards to wood carving , short of having a chisel or a saw around , a straight plain knife blade comes in very handy.

 

[vanslem6]

No worries, and I do understand. I haven't been camping in 5-6 years, but I am planning a trip very soon. I'm most definitely planning on taking a few different knives, without a doubt, lol. To clarify, I use the Tasman primarily for work. Outside of that I typically will carry a PM2 or 940, though I do like to change it up.

 

[powernoodle]

I generally prefer a serrated edge for EDC, but I don't use an EDC knife for wood carving, etc. For daily urban carry, and based on what I use a knife for (cardboard, mulch bags, zip ties, etc.) a serrated edge excels.