serrated or non serrated? which do you prefer?

H

Hawgsnawt

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Aug 16, 2015
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OK, lets assume you want to buy a knife.... the knife comes in 2 different versions, fully serrated, and non serrated..... which do you choose and why?

Does blade size factor in? EDC or collectable only? ......what is your serration thought process when deciding between them?

Inquiring minds want to know.....I want to know!
 
never owned a fully serrated knife but am eyeing a fully serrated talwar xl. have a partially serrated recon 1 and dont find much advantage over a plain edge.
 
Normally plain edge, though I will buy full serrated ones occarionally. If I did work where I had to cut a lot of rope or something I'd go serrated.
 
For most EDC tasks, I go for a plain edge.

If I have a choice in the matter and am cutting rougher stuff, then a serrated edge is the way to go.

I really prefer using a serrated edge for breaking down boxes and cutting cardboard.

So, most of my knives are plain-edged, with a few serrated versions thrown in.

There are still great deals on the previous Aus-8A discontinued versions to be found.

This is how I got some of the serrated versions. A Hold Out II and a Talwar 4-inch blade. I might get an XL Talwar serrated version too.
 
I find serrations to be more of a hindrance, especially in regard to maintenance. Most designs are not set up real well to be easily sharpened. I'd take a nice plain, super sharp edge any day. But that's just me.
 
I prefer plain but did find the fill spyder edge quite good may go this rout on an h1 blade because of the work hardening
 
I think the answer to this is simple : Which do you prefer, a KNIFE or a SAW ?
A knife...always.
And so it goes...
 
The CS knives I buy are for the purpose of cutting through just about anything, quickly. They are all fully serrated. Lansky makes dogbone sharpeners just for CS and Spyderco serrations. Sharpening serrations are easy, been doing so since childhood. You can do anything with a serrated edge that you can with a plain edge, just takes practice. I do not own any partially serrated knives, it's either full plain or full serrations. CS and Spyderco make the best serrated designs for my uses with CS offering many designs to choose from.
 
With SD in mind, I tend to carry serrated blades. If doing yard/unexpected environment/rough tasks I also pick up serrated:

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For general EDC, I find a plain edge easier to carry, use and more appropiate for most tasks.

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I don't really like combo edges, these two are my only ones because they have enough blade length of both types to be useful...

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It's true that CS serrated teeth are harder to sharpen than any other company's serrations (CRKT ehem...), but if you have the Lansky sharpener and quite a lot of free time... ;)

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I loathe serrated blades. If a knife has a partially or fully serrated blade, that is a deal killer for me.
I've never found a serrated blade to cut better than a non-serrated blade; saw maybe, but not cut.
 
I'd go with full serrated for dedicated SD. Cold steel has the best serrations in the business for this purpose. For utility plain is the way to go.
 
I like both. My EDC system involves always carrying a plain edge folder with my Super Edge. :) Always got a plain edge knife for most tasks, and if I need serrations, I always have them on me!
 
I prefer plain edge because serrated are extremely difficult to trade or resell. If I actually used my knives for day to day living, I think I would go with serrated.
 
I use plain edge. It's what a knife is supposed to be. Serrations get hung up and annoy the crap out of me. Maybe if I cut a lot of rope, I'd use serrated, but that's it. I tried serrated for a work knife, but found PE much smoother on cardboard. Just my opinion.
 
Plain edge makes the most sense for my general uses and sharpening equipment. I do more slicing, draw cuts, and detail work than I do sawing or cutting through dense / fibrous materials.

Serrations offer more edge retention and will cut better than a plain edge when relatively dull, but I'm no woodsman. There's rarely more than 24 hours in between my access to sharpening equipment - which is also why I have been much less of a steel snob than I used to be. AUS8, BD1, 154CM, 8CR... All perfectly fine for my general needs, and having them in plain edges makes bringing them to a hair-splitting sharpness takes only a few minutes with a strop.

I'd probably carry a serrated knife if I worked in a more industrial setting, like a warehouse or shipyard. I also have no delusions about my lack of knife combat training, so the intimidation and combat effectiveness of serrations are meaningless to me at present.

Moreover, I generally dislike the appearance of serrations on knives. Too aggressive and intimidating - I don't need to scare people when I'm opening a package.

I do like the look of serrations on the Vaquero, though. That and the Matriarch / Civilian are knives that seem strange without serrations.
 
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