No idea why this reviewer prefers Kershaw serrations to Spyderco.

[fatherhudson]

Thomas - I challenge kershaw to make a fully scallop serrated version of one of your popular knives, maybe a talon type, maybe a sheep's foot or wharncliffe. Both would be an interesting ker'saw'. Oh man

Yeah i'd buy that. Especially if it was specifically designed as a rescue knife.

 

[Fat Goat Forge]

To the OP,
We've used multiple different serration patterns over the years.
While we like/use the two-step pattern, we've seen many come back with the tips of the tall serration bent or broken. I feel the proper blade steel must be in line with this pattern, otherwise damage is possible. Depending on the matter being separated, one could see immediate harm.

It does seem that users have a tendency to think serrated blades are indestructible, can handle jobs they're not intended for, thus the damage. Unlike a plain edge, there is no recourse in making damaged serrations look new once again. Of course there is the "look" that a two-step pattern brings...very aggressive, which can be a draw for many.

With the scalloped serrations, we have found them to be very effective with less tendency to rip, tear, or bind. Personally I don't think they "look" as cool, but from shear performance, especially over time, the scallops we've seen hold up better without sacrifice.

In either of these two cases, when utilizing serrations in general, your cutting technique needs to be adjusted to fit the edge configuration and job in front of you.

Thomas, thanks for the info about differing serration patterns. I have two rescue knives a Kershaw rescue blur and a spyderco. Both seem to work fine on horse webbing and the other things I have to cut around horses. Sounds like from a warranty perspective where you have done knives with various patterns and get less returns with the scallops over the two step than you have made a good choice. Perhaps the you tube reviewer where he stresses hard use felt the issue of the two step being prone to breakage of the taller tips was the problem. In the reviews I viewed no benefits were given to the scallop and no deficiencies were noted about the two step. Just comments about how one makers serration pattern was great and one poor. My application is to cut free a horse tangled in the common barnyard items such as half inch webbing, hay string, leather reins etc. pretty tame stuff compared to say an EMT or LEO needing to cut victims out of a car wreck. With those materials I seem happy with both styles.

 

[Dan57]

+1 to Marcinek. Really... why're you asking US? Send Nutnfancy a PM if you're so curious. It's all personal opinion, anyway.

 

[crom]

who gives a flying crap who has the best serrations? COld Steel's will circumcise a flea but they break off if you look at them wrong...I don't buy them and they're a b!tch to sharpen and that goes for ALL brands.

 

[The Government]

While both serration patterns have strengths and weaknesses, I would say that the differences do not really matter when it comes down to real world use.

I feel that the Kershaw serrations are marginally better with cutting performance, whereas the Spyderco serrations are better for sharpening/ maintenance.

Kershaw's serrations seem to bite into material better, however, I have no idea how to really sharpen them. Spyderco's dont bite quite as well, but at least they can be truly sharpened -given the time.

(I am talking about sharpening the actual serration bevels -not just stropping the "flat chisel side" of the serrations -which will eventually run them out.)