Military - plain or serrated edge?

P

phone_archer

Joined
May 2, 1999
Messages
135
I'm finally going to take the plunge and get a Military. My question is whether I should get a plain or serrated edge. I tend to prefer plain-edges, but my daily carry Endura has a combo-edge and I find that it makes a good compromise for everyday use (especially on a larger folder).

I was hoping to get some opinions from Military owners. I would like to know if you have it in plain or serrated and your opinions on it. As well, I would like to know what your general preference in edges is. For example; "I usually prefer plain or combo-edges, but have a serrated Military and find....". I think you probably get the general idea
smile.gif
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Thanks in advance for your help.

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Bill
"Walk softly and carry a big folder... and a small folder... and a SAK... and a multi-tool..."


[This message has been edited by phone_archer (edited 02 June 1999).]
 
I have a plain edge Military, great general purpose knife. I prefer plain edge knives and this one is a keeper! I have a combo edge Starmate and that is a nice knife, could be better if a plain edge... Spydercos serrations are nice, but I feel that with precision cutting serrations seem to be a hinderance. But if you are cutiing wet rope, serrations are just the ticket.
 
I think that most recommend a plain edge, but it truly depends on how you want to use it. As I said elsewhere, there are good and valid reasons to buy a serrated edge, but for a general carry knife, I have concluded that plain is the way to go. I can sharpen them much more easily and they do not snag on things as I cut.

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh
 
I have had the Military in both styles and prefer the plain edge. I used to be a serrated only guy, but in the past couple of years I've migrated to the plain due to the greater precision of this style. I still use serrated edges, but wanted my Military to be able to slice very smoothly even in slow-mo, which serrated doesn't do so well. But if you want this to be a defensive knife primarily, I'd opt for the serrations.
 
If you tend to prefer plain edges then you would probably be more satisfied with a plain edge military. For me it depends on the knife. I have some plain edge knives, some serrated, and some combo. I personally think the military was designed for serrations. It is like a pocket chainsaw. I dont do much precision cutting with it, so I prefer serrations.
 
I opted for a serrated Military as I carry main mainly for defense.

Take note, however, that the last 1" from the tip of the serrated version is plain, and thus is also useful for fine cutting (like what I do in the kitchen).
 
I used to be a combo only guy as I figured I was getting the best of both worlds but now I prefer plain edge for the same reasons mentioned above. My number one reason though is sharpening, I like my knives razor sharp, and I can't sharpen serrations very well. You can always take a plain edge knife and give it a course edge for cutting rope, etc. Recommend you read the FAQ here on the forum about it http://www.bladeforums.com/features/faqser-plain.html by Joe Talmadge, very good stuff.
 
I opted for a serrated Military for some odd reasons. First, as Spyderco's flagship I didn't think it would look "right" to get it plain-edged. Second, I felt that its combination of blade geometry and steel gave it the most cutting power of any production folder its size - so I had to go the full distance and pack in the extra "oomph!" of serrations. I prefer a plain-edged knife for most uses, but I already have several. For this knife, I just went for the maximum cutting potential I could fit in a pocket folder. I can't wait to get a plain-edge Starmate and see how 440V sharpens, though!

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
 
Cord, it sharpens up REAL nice. Like, pushing thru paper with the same spot on the edge, not slicing. The only other knives that have routinely done this for me are;
Calypso in VG10
Moran in same
Boye Dendritic
There are other steels that can get this type of fine scalpel edge, but these do it easily and w/o lots of time on the sharpmaker.
 
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