Preference

J

Jivers

Joined
Jun 11, 2013
Messages
10
What do you prefer full serrated blade, half serrated and half normal blade, or just full normal blade. Sorry if there is a different name for the plain smooth blade.
 
Oh boy, time for the weekly serrated vs plain edge debate :fatigue:

I actually prefer a combo edge on my work knives and plain edge for my casual/edc blades.
 
Sorry if this turns into a debate I was just wondering what people preferred and I also would agree with you jonnyt16
 
the terminology is "serrated edge", "combo edge" and "plain edge", frequently abbreviated as SE, CE and PE.

Long ago I was buying combo edges and I believed the common wisdom that the combo edge was useful for cutting certain things and the combo edge was the best of both worlds. Well now almost 20 years later I've realized that in all that time I never actually cut anything with the serrated part of the edge. So now I mainly buy plain edge knives and don't buy combo edges except in unusual circumstances. I will not even consider buying a knife with CE blade unless it is a rare discontinued knife that I only find in CE version, such as the Benchmade Ares that I recently got.

But I did recently buy a full serrated edge knife to carry as a second knife, thinking if I ever had to cut something that was appropriate for the serrated edge I could use it. I carried it some but never found a serious use for it. Shortly after buying that one I bought a SE Spyderco Ladybug. I was showing it to my daughter one day while we were having lunch at a fast food restaurant, and was also carrying a PE Spyderco Tenacious with sharp factory edge. So I took a paper napkin from the dispenser on the table, rolled it up tightly, and had my daughter cut it with the Ladybug while I held it stretched between my hands. Then we did the same test with the plain edge Tenacious, and it cut through the napkin faster. This was not a fully scientific test because the serrations on the ladybug are fairly small and not representative of other SE knives. I should try it with my SE Byrd Hawkbill.

When I first started buying "modern" knives, CE blades were probably more common. Now I would say that while there are still a lot of CE knives made, I think they are a smaller percentage of the total than they were many years ago.
 
bdmicarta thanks for your input I like your reasoning I always like and have a quiet a few combo edge knifes and I actual never realized I never really use it besides when I cut rope and stuff.
 
I don't really see the need for 50/50 edges (half serrated, half plain).

I'd rather a fully serrated if I really needed it. But then again, when would I ever need it? The possibilty of me being stuck in some kind if super thick rope is quite low.
 
Plain edge, always.
They cut through anything I need cut cleanly and work for just about everything.
I've even cut thick rope/other thick material with a plain edge and have had zero problems.
 
I don't like any serrations on my blades. But, I have been using an ultra toothy edge as of late. 80 grit diamond plate toothy. It just bites into rope or plastic or cardboard. But I only use it on higher carbide steels like 204P or M390 or ZDP. Its a very rough edge, but it still shaves. It also seems to prefer being honed rather than stropped like my higher grit finishes.
 
Another vote for Plain Edge, for its day-to-day usefulness and easy maintenance.
 
I have a couple inexpensive combo edges that I picked up on a whim, and I keep one near the bench for tasks that I don't want to abuse a better blade with. But honestly, a good sharp plain edge will always do the job as well or better. The only serrated knife I deliberately use is the bread knife in the kitchen, for cutting muffins.
 
pmeisel said:
But honestly, a good sharp plain edge will always do the job as well or better.
Click to expand...
Actually, no, it won't. I know because I've compared the two. In my line of work I am constantly cutting things like hose, cable, straps, rope, canvas, petromat, among other things. My combo edged knives always cut these things a bit faster and more efficiently than a plain edge, no matter how sharp it was. Get some of those materials wet (especially wet rope) and the difference became even more evident.

Not my video, but you will find it very interesting and revealing....

[video=youtube;buGeulH2Llc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buGeulH2Llc[/video]
 
I always get plain edge. I'll bring along a fully serrated blade to go camping or under other special circumstances, but I haven't had to use one yet. In my experience, the only times when SE comes out on top is when cutting cardboard, (sometimes) rope, and vegetation.
 
I always carry a small se, Caly 3 or Calypso jr in my lr pocket, and a big pe folder in my rf pocket.
The small se will cut just about anything, the big pe won't do that.
 
Plain edge for me. Don't like combo edges at all. Used to buy them, back in the late 90's. But like has been said already, never used the serrations for anything. I usually carry two knives and a Leatherman Charge on me. Should the need arise, the Charge has a serrated blade. Has not been used for anything yet, and I've had it since they first came out.
 
Not a fan of combo edges. Tried them. They look cool and look like they should work. The serrations are right where I choose to cut something that requires much force. It depends on what you often cut. I have two fully serrated knives (a SOG air [pretty old] and Spyderco Endura). The Endura stays in my field bag that I carry on jobs and often just have it in my vehicle. I use plain edged knives the most and usually have one in my pocket. If I am cutting a lot of cardboard or carpet, I use a utility knife and keep a good supply of extra blades.
 
I have a few combo blades and that meets my quota. For now and going forward I'll stay with PE's.
 
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