Part Serrated Rant

mschwoeb

mschwoeb

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Joined
Jan 31, 2001
Messages
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I used to think that part serrated was OK. I only did it at the time because I had a 4" knife that was part serrated and so there was plenty of each. But now every single knife that I look at and want I will need to either get from a gun/knife show, or online. The have the part serrated models in the local stores, but thats IT! It is even getting bad enough that I am starting to see part serrated Buck 110's in stock at the local sporting goods store! I really cant understand peoples facination for part serrrated on small blades.


Ok, rant off.:D
 
I agree.

People who buy small combo edged knives want the best of both worlds and get the worst of both worlds IMO.
 
just tried to buy a Native II at New Graham and all they had was part serrated. ended up with a Native III. thats ok but id rather have the S30V made in the USA.

dont know why anyone bothers with this useless combo.
 
Have you seen the portion that is SE on the native frn/440v? I have a CE model, it's more like 1/4" PE the rest SE...
 
I thought that I was alone on this. Combo-edge blades are so prevalent, that I figured that they are really popular. I never liked them, only bought them when I had no choice. The SE portion is usually to short to do any good, and the PE portion is normally hard to sharpen 'cause it's so little.

Heck, I got pockets. I just carry one PE and one SE. :)
 
Originally posted by Klesk

Heck, I got pockets. I just carry one PE and one SE. :)
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There ya go.

I stole this from Tranefan, but I don't care ;) A combo-edge just reminds you what you could do with a Plain edge or a serrated edge.
 
I hear you on that one. I am starting to believe that companies sell their 50/50 blades to retail stores for the average "Joe". The average Joe being a guy off of the street, who doesn't know how to sharpen his blade. With serrations, he/she can rip thru material instead of cutting thru it, that way not having to sharpen the blade. A little known fact to the layman is that serrations need to be sharpened too. Serrations have their place, just not on my EDC.
" The plain boss! The plain!" Tattoo:D
 
My all-time favorite EDC for years has been a Benhcmade Mini-AFCK with the combination edge. Lately, I tend to carry a full-size AFCK with plain edge, Kershaw Rainbow Leek or Queen Utility Pen Knife (D2).

I don't remember ever being unhappy with the combination edge. What are the specific gripes people have against it?

Take it easy,
Bob Scott
 
I dont like it if the blade is too small. It seems then that you dont have enough of either type of edge to really use it to its full potential.

What really got me was seeing Buck going with the crowd and supplying 110s with 50/50
 
I think the whole thing with PS blades is nothing more or less than a marketing ploy to sell knives, lots of them.

Think about this, an AR-15 and a Browning BAR hunting rifle are essentially the same gun. One looks military and one looks hunting. The one that looks military has an scary (OH MY) look to it. The Browning looks almost harmless, even maybe a work of art. People will fall all over themselves when they see the AR-15 but will not bat an eye at the Browning. IT is simply comsetics.

The same with the blades. Plain blades look like kitchen knives. Serrated blades look MILITARY.

I personally don't like partial serrations but most of the yahoos in my neck of East Texas go crazy over serrated blades. They oh and ah, want to hold it and all they talk about is those narly teeth on that WICKED blade. They are facinated by them.

Personally, I have stopped looking at SOG and have called and told them this because of their insistance on putting PS on dang near everything. I have a SOG Night Vision that I LOVE, but would love even more if it was NOT serrated. SOG told me it was basically a business decision. I can live with that, though I may not like it. I will voice my opinion with my pocket book and buy knives that I want and have the blades I desire.

My favorite of all knives to carry is my little old BM Stryker plain blade. It has never failed to cut what ever I needed cut.

I just traded for a MOD Dieter Mk I, that has serrated blade. I know I will love the knife, but the serrations will be a thorn in my side. I will learn to live with it.

If I made knives I would make only plain blades for these reasons: 1) Ease of maintenance, 2) Overall Utility (most people don't need to cut through seatbelts or navy spec rope and 3) Beauty of the blade, nothing like a nice cleanly sharpened blade with the edge gleaming like a diamond.

Serrations are mainly the assault knife of the modern age. They are what sales to the average Joe, because he wants him one of them combo blades, so's he can cut up dang near anthing.

Enough of my two cents.

GOD BLESS AMERICA, her people and this great wonderful State of Texas.
 
The only "combo-edge" folder that I like is the Spyderco Dyad. (It's a combo-edged folder in the sense that one blade is plain-edge, and the OTHER blade is fully-serrated.).
 
I just sold all my combo edges (Emersons & Benchmade CQC7s) after I bought a Sebenza, Cuda Maxx, and a David Mosier plain edge. I kept my Spyderco Cricket for when I need serrations. My Ka-Bar is a combo edge, but that's only 1.5" of a 7" blade.
The serrations just got in the way, although they are good for cutting network cable... but that's what the supertool is for.
 
I prefer serrations. For you guys that don't, there's plain edge.

Why are there so many combo's out there? I think it's simple...

#1, for what i use a knife for, serrations help. I.E. thick cardboard, a dull edge won't do squat, but dull serrations will still get thru it.

#2, MANY ppl don't sharpen knives, and MOST ppl buy cheapo knives which won't hold an edge. For them, serrations are reinforcement that the knife will gain entry. You guys may be KnifeKnuts but in relation to the entire population, you, i, we, are few in number.

#3, cool factor. combo-edge does look mean. nuff said.

Since the serrations add that extra "bite" and at the same price, guys like myself (who used to be in both construction and automotives) can find that added "tool" a bonus. Frankly, i look for serrations, and prefer partial.

Hell, i've really never known how to sharpen a knife till these last couple weeks. You folks opened my eyes to alot of stuff, which is great but... remember theres many out there who don't know, and probly never will.

Nowadays i have a few fixed PE blades, and a few PE folders. However, i would not choose either type for an EDC, but that's just my personal choosing :)

Cheers!
 
I was so ecstatic about the Emerson CQC10 becoming a production knife.... and then when it was released it was only as a part serrated. Because of that I have $185 burning a hole in my pocket.

Before I carred pocket knifes, I carred a Leatherman Wave. It had 2 blades, a normal one, and a serrated one. I never found anything the serrated one cut better than the plain edge one. And being in Boy Scouts, I cut a LOT of rope, one of the materials serrations are supposedly better at cutting. Eventually the only times I found myself using the serrated one was when the plain one got dull. Of course I'd sharpen the plain edge one ASAP and then never touch the serrated on until it got dull again. The serrated got used in 3 years as much as the plain blade got used in 1 week. In a one bladed knife, having it part serrated means I have that much less useful cutting edge.

I've heard people say that serrated edges cut certain materials better, but I haven't found this to be the case. My EDC for a while was an Emerson SOCFK that was part serrated. I tried cutting every material that I've heard serrated edges work better on. I never found them to cut better than a plain edge, and many times found them to cut worse because they'd rip and tear, hurting my cutting stroke, rather than cut cleanly through like the plain edge would.

When cutting things such as hard plastic, the serrations would catch, and not cut, forcing me to use only the plain portion of the blade. Due to the diminished length of the plain edge on a combo blade, I found myself having to make 2-3 cuts with my SOCFK where my plain edge 710 would need only 1 to make it through.

Serrated edges do cut better when dull than plain edges, but unlike my leatherman that could use a touch up once a day, I find this issue to be a mute point with high end steels that can go long enough between sharpening that you never have to worry about getting stuck with a dull knife.
 
People who buy small combo edged knives want the best of both worlds and get the worst of both worlds IMO.
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That sums it up pretty well to me. I will buy a plain edge or fully serrated knife, but not combo edge. They have too little of each type of edge to be as effective as a full plain edge or fully serrated blade.
 
I vote with my pocketbook too. I will not buy anything with partial serrations and very few knives with full serrations. I know how to sharpen a knife so I don't need them. A sharp plain edge works better on nearly any material I've ever cut.
 
I have a SOG Night Vision that I LOVE, but would love even more if it was NOT serrated.
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Judge_Blackhawk - SOG made a bunch of limited edition Visions a few years ago, with plain edge rather than combo edge blades. I bought one directly from SOG. You might want to contact them; they may have a few left.
 
I have contacted them, was told they were all gone.

I almost cried. Well my eyes filled up for sure.

I want a Sog VISION now, but I just can't bring myself to buy it.

They say good things come to those who wait.... but HELL I HATE waiting. There are too many nice knives out there withOUT serrations to wait for some people in management to decide to make a good old plain plain edge knife.

I guess I need to email SOG everytime I buy a knife without serrations and tell them that I was considering the Vision or PE II, but because of the serrations I went with there competitors model... heehehhe. Maybe they will then get the message.

ONE QUESTION?????? Does it cost more or less or the same to put serrations on a blade?????


GOD BLESS AMERICA

Forever in Liberty and Justice,

Judge Blackhawk
 
As I usually have at least two knives on me, and often more, one is always either fully serrated or partly serrated. There are a few things, mostly the plastic banding straps used to secure boxes to pallets, that I like the serrated for. A good sharp plain edge will cut them but if it gets even a little dull, it will just slide and I don't always have time to stop and put an edge back on. For most things a plain edge is better though and easier to maintain, but as long as I have room for it, I will have one knife on me that has serrations.
 
Originally posted by VampyreWolf
Have you seen the portion that is SE on the native frn/440v? I have a CE model, it's more like 1/4" PE the rest SE...
Click to expand...

i have, but thats 1/4 of the blade that i would find useless (some companies list the knife as 50/50 others 65/35). besides, i wanted PE.
 
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