Simply one Mans (that has lived more than a half century) personal viewpoint:
I have both and use both.
For those living in an urban city street environment, a combo is perfect for a multitude of cutting needs encountered daily.
I don't dislike or like one over the other.
Two of the few companies that know how to design/produce efficient serrations are Spyderco and Gerber.
Cold Steele serrated blades while quite sharp, are impossible to sharpen due to the micro style of serrations.
As Mr. Bladepics says in post #12
(agreed) and in his case, he knows a serrated blade will save his life where a plain edge had failed.
And as Mr. Chris Larrikin mentions in post #14:
serrations should not shred or saw material; they should use geometry to maximize the depth of a cut with as little sawing or draw cutting cutting as possible; in effect you should pretty much be able to push the blade straight forward against the material and have the serrations do the slashing for you.
As Mr. 3f8 says in post #23:
"Get a diamond tapper rod sharpener and learn to love your serrations".
The blanket statements of:
"Partial serrations are pointless and generally ruin any knife they appear on."
and
"They are compleatly Sp (completely) unnessary Sp (unnecessary) if you know how to sharpen a knife."
or
and
"Serrations are for bread. Not man things."
are most often made by the 15 to 25 year old demographic.
If I were to find myself in a true survival situation in the jungle, woods or mountains with no dedicated
sharpening tool.. I'll take a partially serrated blade over a plain edge any day.
I have no problem sharpening serrations and am skilled at it, here are a few of my preferred serration's, all cut cleanly, none
rip,
tear or
shred.
(Btw, bites from Sharks teeth are not tears, rips or shreds... they are clean cuts, Sharks teeth as you all know are sharp and finely serrated)
We love our Natives:
Spydie Tasman Salt:
German Bravo 1:
Gerber Covert Auto:
A Spydie Delica which I don't use much, the Orange Ritter is actually my favorite most comfortable plain edge I own, sharp and opens and closes smooth as silk.
British knifesmith Rob Bayley's design, very easy to sharpen with very efficient and unique serration's
The other partially Serrated I own is a Gerber LMF II purchased seven years ago but never used.
And I own a fully serrated Spydie Civilian, simply as a collectors piece and because it's so freaky looking.
I don't discount or condemn serrated or even partially serrated knife blades, I enjoy using them, I like the way they look and know how to sharpen them.
To those that say: "you don't know how to sharpen a P.E. knife" or, "learn how to sharpen a knife so you don't need serration's", I reply: if you learn how to sharpen serration's they won't "tear" and "rip".
Again, just one Man's personal viewpoint.