need advice: serrated vs regular

[Krissig12]

I think any knife will do the cutting you described, serrated or plain edge, as long as it's sharp, get the Sebenza.


1234,,,

Ding ding ding:thumbup:

Sebenza for the win. It's easy to sharpen, a great cutter, very versatile, looks great, is solid as a rock, can be cleaned very easily because of the flow through design, and can be taken apart and put back together with extreme ease as well. Also no fiddling with the pivot because with the bushing system on the 21, you just tighten it down all the way and lock tight it, and it'll be solid with no play but still move freely. Hell, what better Africa knife than one with the name "sebenza" which in the Zulu language means "work"

 

[SeeTOPh]

Bad ass in Africa is a machete.

Anything that looks overly military, or even "bad ass cool" is likely to be confiscated/lost at customs. You don't state the country, you don't know the local laws. Don't bring attention to yourself.
My son has just travelled around the world aged 19; not Africa but he did do India. He took a SAK Huntsman, and that was plenty. The rest is just getting aware of your surroundings and basic good manners etiquette. Getting sunstroke or getting hit by a car are the things to worry about the first few weeks.

im actually bringing a custom made machete with me. I lived in the Caribbean for a couple years and when i was there my landlord made me a machete from the leaf spring of an 89 jeep wrangler, some beachwood he collected for the handle and then he in-layed some barbwire around the handle to hold it together. hes a construction worker who build the house we lived in. But i was having some problems with some locals, so he made it for me as an EDC. Like 70% of the population is involved in the banana trade in some respect as its their main export, so machetes are literally most mens EDC there. But mine is huge and rusty but still sharp as shit after i take my dremel to it. and i was told by one of my coworkers who did the DWB thing that customs is more lax about blades with volunteers and people who go for NGO work and stuff, theyre really just glad your their. and im going to nigeria. my fathers in Benin, one country over

 

[GermanyChris]

I'll be that guy..

I would never take a plain edge blade on a deployment therefore I wouldn't take one to Africa. Serrations are almost always sharp and all you have to do is get then under the material and pull.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[SALTY]

While somewhat more complicated to sharpen, serrations do tend to stay sharper longer.

I have a bunch of knives that are partially serrated and what I do is use the plain edge portion the most and touch up that section of the blade to keep it keen - saving the serrated section for those fibrous materials that warrant it. That "system" has served me well but for bushcraft type chores in small to medium fixed blades obviously a plain edge is preferred. In fact, with the exception of my Spyderco Aqua Salt and the CRK Project 1 & 2, I much prefer plain edge on fixed blade knives. Folders however and EDC tasks do benefit from a small section of serrations.

 

[GREENJACKET]

If you are doing a lot of knife work then a straight edge is better. If only occasional work and that demands an aggressive cut then serrations are good. Sailing, climbing, emergency work then serrations like Spyderco are a real plus. But for an all round work tool and anything where the pure volume of work is going to put regular wear on an edge, then a straight is far more adaptable and easier to maintain. A keen edge will cut as fast on most materials as any serrated blade. The exception is nylon hard rope where a straight edge slides rather than cuts; its the serrated teeth that cut and stop the slide.

I wouldn't take your machete out, it will get lost. Anyhow you are not working in a banana plantation. The local labour force won't want you doing their job for them. Nigeria is a pretty civilised place, the locals have all the tools they need.
Personal carry to mend your bed, or the truck, or whatever else is boken... air conditioning unit. Take a Letherman.

 

[sharp_edge]

Talking about serrated vs plain, I remember someone mentioned that all current partial serrations are done incorrectly in that he/she thought the serrated part should be close to the blade tip while the plain portion should be near the handle. I think that is an interesting suggestion and indeed for at least some cutting tasks such a configuration seems advantageous.

 

[Skrapmetal]

Talking about serrated vs plain, I remember someone mentioned that all current partial serrations are done incorrectly in that he/she thought the serrated part should be close to the blade tip while the plain portion should be near the handle. I think that is an interesting suggestion and indeed for at least some cutting tasks such a configuration seems advantageous.

It depends on what you are doing with your knife. If you want a knife that can be used as a skinner and a rope cutter, the setup of the serrations by the handle is better. If you want to do detail work while carving wood however, you probably don't want the serrations down there.

 

[bt93]

Talking about serrated vs plain, I remember someone mentioned that all current partial serrations are done incorrectly in that he/she thought the serrated part should be close to the blade tip while the plain portion should be near the handle. I think that is an interesting suggestion and indeed for at least some cutting tasks such a configuration seems advantageous.

That's how the Victorinox Soldiers knife is. I guess it's better for cutting cord. I'm actually considering getting it because the serrations are much easier to sharpen than the ones on most other knives.

 

[Frisky]

I would go with the Victorinox Hunter XT in orange. For about twice the money, you could also go with the Victorinox Rescue Tool in fluorescent yellow with red pouch. These knives give you a locking main blade and a seatbelt cutter blade perfect for cutting off clothing. They also give you a saw. Both knives are designed for one-hand opening while wearing rubber gloves. The main blade on the Rescue knife is finely serrated and will last a long time without sharpening, while that on the Hunter XT is plain. Both have serrated belt cutter blades. You might find yourself in a situation where you need a saw.

Joe