Serrated or Plain?

Nathanial4

Nathanial4

Joined
Mar 11, 2002
Messages
161
Ok,

My first question on Teflon coating was answered so now my second dilema. I am looking at the Benchmade 940 Series in Satin Finish. I an not sure if I want serrated or plain blade (I initially liked the serrated)? This would be my everyday carry (cutting material, sometimes wire ties, etc.) and would be used during backcountry outings (and you all know what that entails).

I need opinions. Which was should I go?

Thanks.
 
Personally, I'm a big fan of combo edges as long as the knife is big enough for you to get a useable portion of each. Serrations aren't really as hard to sharpen as people make them out to be and they cut SO much better than a plain edge when your getting into stuff like heavy rope, plastic pipes etc. They can also be used very effective for notching wood/stakes for camping/whittling etc.
Serrations aren't good for slicing or shaving so I like to have at least an inch of plain edge polished down scary sharp though.
Its not as good as having a serrated knife and a plain edged knife both at your disposal, but its pretty close with the right knife thats sharpened the right way.
Alot of guys say that you can get the same or better performance if you rough up a plain edge, but I have seen it yet. If you really want to see the difference try cutting a peice of 1" or so black water/ground pipe.
 
If you plan on keeping the blade for a while and plan on sharpening it I would get a plain edge. While you can sharpen serrations with a premium sharpening tool like a Spyderco Sharpmaker you will slowly degrade the shape of the serrations over time.

When I cut nylon cable ties I don't find serrations useful. If I am removing ties I can't safely use serrations to saw at the tie without risking damage to the wires in the bundle. I usually turn my blade edge-upwards and slip the tip inside the tie loop and lever the blade upwards to slice the tie. When I am cutting the excess loose end of a new tie after I put it on I usually don't want to saw it off because it puts stress on my wire assembly and hazards associated with the blade jerking through the tie. I partially close my knife and use the knife and handle as sort of a sharp nutcracker/wire cutter to squeeze through the tie. Again I get no advantage from serrations. If I am prepping ties to a fixed length before installation I use something as a cutting board and push straight down through the tie to cut it. I don't saw through it and get no benefit from serrations.

Basically it is a knife, not a saw. If you don't have trouble keeping it sharp don't add saw teeth. If you never sharpen it you need serrations since it will simply become a saw.
 
Serrations don't stop you from clipping, levering, or slicing cable ties. They don't HAVE to be used like a saw, and they don't have to be dull. They offer bite. I've been sharpening them for years and they still work like they were new. They don't even have to be sharpened half as often as a plain edge.
Think about what you need to cut. If its going to be slicing open mail everyday and not much else, then a plain edge is fine. But it won't be even close to the same if your going to be cutting rope, vines, plastic etc.
Serrations aren't any good for shaving your face, but don't let these guys give you the idea that they're like the plague ;) I can never beleive how negative folks are towards serrations around here.
 
Plain all the way, I am not a big fan of serrations. I have a Bm 943 with a plain edge and I love it, it is with me everyday.
 
Serrated!

The only thing it doesn't do is shave and whittle.

unless you have experience with sharpening and can tailor the PE to your tastes. I do a 30deg inclusive, polished off the strop, and then 800grit whetstone. Thats a good user.
 
One guy had it on his auto signature area that it is a knife thing and you probably won't understand or something like that. I really believe the plain edge thing is just that. A knife guy likes to think he knows what he is doing around blades. Blades and the scary sharp stuff are all about plain edges. Now you can take a man that can't sharpen worth anything and he can have a serrated knife that he will have to sharpen once for each 3 times that the scary sharp knife fella has to in order to keep his edge.

I am still a plain edge guy, but I did buy my first combo blade (price was right on Ebay and they only offered it with serrations). Surprised me how useful they can be. Now think of Sebenez and until recently they only offered plain edges. There was a reason for that. Now they have just introduced a serrated edge option - why - because they work and there is a demand for the product. I do still think of serrations as a utility style blade and the plain as more of a tactical edge for slicing.

Be happy and buy what you want. Really you should buy one with serrations and one without. I'm not kidding. This next knife purchase won't be your last purchase, just the next purchase. So pick one style now - live with it for a couple of months then your next purchase try the other style. You decide which works better for you. By the way, have a blast in the process.
 
I prefer dedicated knives. Serrated knives are good for some things. Plain edge with a really, really good edge is good for the rest. Blades that incorporate both often end up doing all tasks half as well. Thats my humble opinion for MY OWN uses. I DO find the serrations more difficult to sharpen, not impossible but yes, more difficult. I personally think that serrated blades are specialty tools, plain blades tend to be able to do most things well enough.

I keep a Cold Steel Sea and Land Rescue with full serrated edge clipped to my backpack and a similar size Cold Steel Voyager Clip Point right next to it. In an emergency, they'll both be there for a choice. Jason.
 
"Blades that incorporate both end up doing all tasks half as well." - Jason Cutter

Plain edge.
 
I've got a fully serrated Police (GIN-1), partially serrated Wegner (ATS-34), and plain Military (CPM S30V). I find my Spyderco Sharpmaker sharpens my Police and Wegner serrations beautifully, keeps them extremely sharp with touch-ups. It's designed to sharpen Spyderco serrations, and that's a huge advantage for getting them sharpened right. So, consider getting the BM with a plain blade, get a serrated Spydie, and get a Sharpmaker to sharpen them both. I agree with full serations or plain, there's advantages to each, so both is best.
 
I carried a spydie copilot for several years with serrations and I seldom needed to sharpen it. I prefer plain but you'll like either.
 
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