Serrated / Partial serrated / plane blade

G

greenie

Joined
Mar 6, 1999
Messages
109
I would like to hear what type of knife you carry and the reasons (opinions) why you picked that type. For example, what are the arguments in favor of a plane blade vs. partially serrated. etc....
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"Walk softly and carry a big stick"...TR



[This message has been edited by greenie (edited 18 April 1999).]
 
Hi Greenie!
I my self carry a B.M. A.F.C.K with a combo blade. I find it handy too have a serrated edge for cutting rope and the like. But i also like the plane edge for more delicate work. So why have one when you can have the best of both world's.

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"ALWAYS WATCH YOUR SIX"


 
I carry plain blade knives for several reasons:
1) I rarely find myself in a situation where I need serrations.
2) I can't sharpen serrations worth a damn!
Steve
 
Hi Greenie!
Seeing as how the latest trend is seeing how many knives you can carry, i've found that i like carrying each type, as sometimes you don't want serrations, and sometimes, thats all you want for a particular application.So i carry a small(2"), medium(3"), and large(3 1/2"-4") plain edge, and 1 fully serrated blade(Spyderco Rescue) to cover all applications. I wear jeans all the time, and am retired so don't not worry about being comspicious.
Befored i retired, i worked out in the field, and so carried a combo blade to fit my needs, as did not want to carry all the extra weight, and such.

Larry
 
For aesthetics I like the plain blades, but to be honest, I feel serrations have their place and they perform quite well especially with rope. If I had to have just one knife, you know, you're stuck in the woods or whatever, I would make sure my knife was at least partially serrated.

The easy way to get around this is to carry more than one knife!

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~Greg~

 
Personally, Benchmade AFCK with combo edge. I use the plain part for most everthing, but there are a few applications for which the serrated part is wonderful. Cardboard and rope come immediately to mind.

The general public (including security guards at airports) seem to see serrated and partially serrated edges as menacing (this only demonstrates the public (even "security professionals") lack of understanding in these matters).

Chuck
 
OK this is regarding self defense w/ plain or serrated knives. I've heard that serrated knives are good for self defense situations. But somebody said on a recent post about plain edged knives better than serrated knives, because the cut is clean w/c leaves you to a large amount loss of blood than serrated knives. Of course serrated knives rips thick fibrous material like clothing (jackets, jeans, etc..) but then plain edged knives do the same too. Unless your wearing an armor. Does anyone agree with this. I want to know any of your opinion.

[This message has been edited by Rommel (edited 19 April 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Rommel (edited 19 April 1999).]
 
I'm too tired to give my usual tirade about partially serrated blades, so I'll just tell you what I carry:

One plain Endura
One plain Calypso Jr. Black Micarta
One fully serrated Delica

This 2:1 ratio gives you a fair indication of how important I think serrations are. Notice that I don't have any partially serrated knives.

If I had to carry just one knife, it would be plain edged.

If you haven't already read it, you might want to read Joe Talmadge's article on the subject of plain vs. serrated edges, which you can find by clicking "Knowledge Base" on the front page.

David Rock
 
I carry a BM 800sbt. I work in a wet environment and cut rope, plastic, etc. and the serrated portion comes in very handy along with the BT2 coating.
 
I chose my Military to have the serrated edge as this will be carried only for that unwanted violent social intercourse.

The reason for this choice is the intimidation factor present in a serrated edge especially here in the Philippines where a serrated blade is very rare...

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remember, we all have a point!




[This message has been edited by Titan (edited 19 April 1999).]
 
I think the closer to 4" you get the more functional a combo blade is. At about 3.25" and under you wind up with too little plain, too little serrated to be effective.

Jack
 
I carry either an Endura98 or a Delica98, as the situation requires (knife length laws). Since I carry but one knife, I have no desire to carry a serrated blade. Little or none of my cutting chores involve cutting rope or other fibrous materials and that is the ONLY reason that I can see for a serrated blade. Plus, as noted, they are a bear to sharpen.

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Walk in the Light,
Hugh
 
I'm a soon-to-be LEO, and I devoted quite a bit of thought to what I am going to carry. Right now I'm 2/3 of the way there...

1. Benchmade AFCK in M2 steel, plain edge. This knife will be used for self defense both on and off duty. I'm honestly uncertain if serrations do much of anything practical in self-defense situations, but a big argument is intimidation. But if I'm actually going to go for a knife, this means that something has gone horribly awry with The Plan and intimidation is likely not going to play a role. Who knows...give me a few years of experience and maybe I'll change my mind.

2. Spyderco Rescue 98, full serrated. Seatbelts, ropes, clothing cutting for first aid...I'd want a serrated knife for all of these...but I like the sheepstoot design of the rescue so I know I'm not going to be stabbing the person I'm trying to save, and I also like the fact that its a full-length straight blade for sawing.

3. Something Else. I have yet to decide what this one is going to be. If the respective companies would produce the Axis or Carnivour in a high-quality non-stainless steel I would buy that in a New York minute. But it will be my workhorse knife, used for anything and everything but actual sawing. I figure I'd use the Rescue for that, and as such, this knife too would be plain edge.

In my admittedly limited experience with serrations, I have found two things:

1. Combo-edge knives do not have enough serrated length to make it worthwhile. Anytime that the combo-edge serrations would benefit you, it is likely that the plain edge would do almost as well...without sacrificing plain-edge utility.

2. I really shudder at the thought of sharpening serrations. I admit it, I'm lazy.
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All IMO,

Mike


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Hey! Uncle Sam!

(_!_) Nyah nyah nyah!

Refund! You lose! :)


 
I carry a plain edge 710, and a plain edge Native. What can I say, I just like plain edges, and they've always done the job sufficiently. Right now, though, I am planning on adding a serrated to the mix, as I feel that it might be useful in certain situations. It will have to be fully serrated, and not a liner lock. So, that leaves me with the BM Ascents 830 and 840, the Spydie Delica, or Endura. I like the action and design of the Spydies better, so it is down to the Delica or Endura, leaning toward Endura. The serrated will be reserved for the absolute last ditch tool in case of a violent encounter, or an unforseen situation where the plain edge just ain't cuttin' it, literally. I can sharpen serrations, but don't like to.

O_D
 
Plain Edge for every day wear, but since I've gotten the Spydie Harpy with G10, that sits in my right front pocket, the Sebenza or Wood/Irie rides on the belt. The serrated edge on the Harpy works so well for reaching in a bundle of wires and nipping just the one you want, gotta love that Hook!

My .02
G2

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When a fellow says, "it ain't the money but the principle of the thing,"
it's the money.
F. McKinney Hubbard

<A href="http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Cabin/7306/blades.html">G2's Leather!</A>




[This message has been edited by Gary W. Graley (edited 19 April 1999).]
 
Well this topic seems like deja vu..think we've been here before
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...Anyway I've been carrying a Spyderco Dyad..has two blades one plain and one serrated. I have been using the serrated blade three times to one(approx.).. I have sharpened the plain blade about two times to one vrs. the serrated. I will also take the liberty of saying, I have been cutting mostly the same things. Now on other occassions I carry a Mini Socom, Partial serrated. And even though there is just 1/3 serrations on the three inch blade, when you need it its there. Plain and simple. For me, it doesn't get in the way. It just makes my Socom a bit more versatile. As for sharpening...No problemo...And I am no profile wizard! Don't want to get into to much verbiage..But I'm a beleiver in combo edges. You can, do fine with plain edged knives and they have been my favorite for years, but don't count out a partly serrated blade, it might work for you as it does for me. HOWEVER....One of my favorite knives is the SEBENZA
wink.gif
AHHAHA
 
Serrations are great for any "saw" type cutting, but that means that you need a decent length of blade to do it with. Most combo edges just don't have the length to do the job, so the only serrated I have is a Spyderco Rescue, a great knife designed for a specific type of cutting.

This http://www.tripleaughtdesign.com/serrated.htm shows just how popular combo edges have become.

I like my Sebenza the way it is
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James
 
Heya Coronach,

As an AFCK/Rescue kinda-guy myself, (why else would pants have two pockets!) if your AFCK is primarily for "social" use, you may want to consider staying with the satin finish. The reason I haven't taken the jump to M2 is that it comes saddled down with the BT2 finish.

When I'm explaining things to the nice police officer, I want my "Advanced Folding Camp Knife" (gotta love BM!
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) to look as normal and untactical as possible. Black-coated blades just don't do it for me.

Reminds me of an anecdote that Thaddeus posted quite a while back regarding a mirror-polished CQC7 giving intimidation value that averted a planned mugging. Letting the enemy know you're a hard target is easier if the blade is shiny satin. This line of reasoning holds if you're not always a member of the "He shouldn't know I have a knife until he's cut" school of thinking.

Ian, hoping someday BM comes up with a clear-coated tool steel blade.
 
I prefer plain edges partly for aesthetic reasons, and partly because I rarely have any need for serrations. Combo blades kind of annoy me, because I tend to do detailed cutting with the part of the edge closest to the pivot, and that's where combo blades put the serrations.

I have to admit, though, that I've been wondering about making the upcoming Spyderco Matriarch my first fully-serrated blade. I'm kind of looking for ways to differentiate new knife purchases from the old ones, and serrations fit the bill. Still, for virtually all of my cutting I'm convinced that a plain edge, possibly with micro-serrations, is best.

-Brett


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brett@rahul.net
www.rahul.net/brett
 
I've found the DMT Diafold tapered diamond sharpener works great on serrated blades except for small serration like Cold Steel uses. Give it a try I think you'll agree.

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