Plain edge or partially serrated for survival? and EDC?

Combo edges drive me nuts. There are a couple of folding knives I'm looking at that have 1 blade 100% serrated and the other blade 100% plain. If I can only have one blade, I'll opt for 100% plain.
 
When I was in the military and when I was mountain guiding I found a serrated edge to be useful. For everything else serrations are just in the way. Definitely go with a plain edge.
 
partially serrated here as i use it to clean big game a lot, and plain edge won't zip through bone like serrated will
 
I used to EDC one of these in the city. I believe Spyderco makes the best serrations, and as far as production knives go I believe this one is somewhat of a design classic when it comes to utilizing them. That said, the serrations did nothing to broaden the scope of the knife, and if anything severely limited its versatility. The excellence lay in a very tightly focused beam, and in almost all instances one would reach for something else.

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Plain edge for me too. The serrations just seem to get in the way more than they solve any real problems. My plain edge EDC Endura slides right through rope. Mac
 
Plain edge for me as well... like so many people, I tend to have a PE folder as a EDC and a solid, simple PE fixed for when I am out in the bush. serrated is just to much of a pain for dealing with small tasks, and to keep a good edge on.
 
Raskolnikov said:
All save one (which I keep for sentimental purposes) of my fixed blades are plain edged. I dislike serrations in general. My current EDC is a plain edged folder, though for several years I carried a combo edge (Trident) for daily use.
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That's been my EDC for the past few years. It's been good, but there have definitely been times where I would wish for the plain edge. Not to say that serrations weren't useful sometimes, but I'm thinking my new EDC will be a plain.

+1 for plain.
 
For the most part plain edge is the only way to go for me. I'll never buy a partially serrated blade again. I used to think they were cool but I've learned a few things over time, and one of those things is that a combo edge just doesn't work well for me for all of the reasons that others have already posted. When I finally save up enough money for a canoe and/or kayak I'll invest in a good fully serrated blade to take keep attached to my pfd, just in case.
 
I agree, PE is the way to go. However, I recently got a delica CE and a Grip CE. I like the delica combo edge because it makes the smaller knife cut like a larger one. I would have preffered a PE on my grip however for the price I couldn't pass it up. I really like the blade shape on this knife and the axis lock is smooth. For smaller tasks that require more control, like whittling a stick I use my farmer. I always carry my farmer no matter what else I am carrying.
 
For the bush and I assume that my survival knife will be the very same knife, I prefer a non serrated fixed blade, but for EDC, I carry both a non serrated folding knife and a partially serrated Vic OH SAK.
 
I EDC a plain edge Cricket and a Leatherman Charge TTI, which has both. Serrated edge certainly has its merits, but it is more a specialized tool than a general utility tool. Just a couple of days ago I had to cut a garden hose to smaller pieces, and the serrated blade functioned great.

Unlike most here, I've found some combo-edge designes to work pretty nicely, like the Leatherman e301 folder I EDCd a couple of years ago, and the Spyderco Delica 4, which I sometimes carry instead of the Cricket. So, if I had to choose only one blade to EDC (emphasis on words "Every Day"), Id choose a combo. In the woods I haven't yet found any uses for a serrated blade, so while hiking, I always carry a plain edge.
 
I have a custom knife sheath where I can carry TWO Spyderco Police model knives (one behind the other in the sheath). It looks like I have only one knife in the sheath unless you did not look closely.

One has a plain edge and one has the serrated blade. I now have two very good knives for the different types of work required. Typically when you need a serrated blade the serration length is too small so you are doing short strokes and when you need a plain blade the serrations get in the way for long smooth cuts.

Lastly the old line goes: "When is a knife fighter a better fighter? When he has two blades vs one." Hopefully except in a SHTF type situation, you would not have to use both at the same time. There are times though when a noisy weapon attracts unwanted attention therefore I will always have a knife with me AND a typical weapon.

OMT.
 
Everyday I carry a R.A.T. Cutlery RC-4PE. It's perfect for just about anything outdoors and the plain edge is by far the best for slicing, whittling, etc. During the week, I also carry a CRKT M21 with a PS edge. I'm on my second one. Wildcat Creek ate the first one. It comes in handy for cutting boxes open, opening crates, cutting binding and straps on bike crates and boxes grouped together. I like it for that stuff because I don't have to sharpen it nearly as often since the serration yanks right through all that stuff. Other than application like that, I don't care for them AT ALL! Unless you're having to cut the same stuff as me every single day, go plain. It will work much better. One of the things I REALLY regret not specifying was PE ONLY for my RAT-7 when I asked for one for Xmas. It's a PS edge and I hardly ever use it. I think I'm actually going to seel it along with a bunch of others in the exchange area this weekend.
 
I carry plain edged knives. I have a couple fully serrated for special needs. The partially serrated edges aren't much good for anything. It took me a while to figure that out as I have a number of the partially serrated ones.
 
Fully PE for survival and EDC. Especially survival because in the field serrations would be a PITA to sharpen. Ever see a skinny cylindrical rock?
 
For survival? Plain, being able to sharpen your knife in the field is something you can't (or very hard to) do with serrations.

For EDC I have both that being said I prefer plain edge. :)
 
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