Serrations vs Plain Edge

R

Rambo88

Joined
Dec 10, 2006
Messages
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Any thoughts on which you prefer, serrations or plain edge.
This is my first post, would love some good replies.


Thanks.
 
I prefer plain edge knives as they are much easier to sharpen and for me, just as efficent at cutting. I'm a medic and I use my knives quite a bit, and I carry a P-SARK PE and it has never let me down. Hope that helps, Jim
 
I really like the combo edge. It gives you the ability to cut just about anything. plus the serrations don't need to be sharped all that often.
 
I had, for a long time, perferred the plain blade but aftrer I bought a couple of knives with combo edges I started to like both styles. Now it depends on the knife and blade shape and amount of serration etc, but I do agree it makes the blade more versitle. Maybe I just needed to carry one for a while to realize that there are few detractions to a par/serr blade.
WOOK
 
Plain edges. They are not only easier to maintain, but they look better in my opinion. Plain edges cut cleaner and properly sharpened perform perfectly.
 
Plain edge is alot easier to sharpen. Serrations rip through fibrous material but are somewhat difficult to sharpen. I personally though the combo edge. On a folder no blade is big enough to have combo edge where both of them are decent. I go with full plain or full serrated but it depends on the purpose. I only see the serrations advantage in a rescue situation or if your cutting rope or comething else fibrous 75% of the time. You can sharpen a plain edge with just about anything. Serrations, you need specialized tools.
 
i like plain edge because:

*easier to sharpen
*will cut anything serrations will unless ya cut LOTS of rope.
*looks better
*plain edges are more popular with collectors thus if ya wanna sell the thing its easier.
 
Thanks everybody for the help and advice. I just bought a HD-7 Combo, all black with plain edge.
 
Serrations will make a dull knife cut, but sharp plain edges always worked better for me.
 
Seems like every poster in this thread prefers the plain edge, including me. I wonder what was the origin of the combo-edge trend...
 
Good question?! I thought they looked really cool when I was a kid, but they lost favor with me. Mostly because catch on fine detail things, the same reason sharpening choils suck.
 
I like to lower the edge angle on Emersons. It can be done with good results on a plain edge, but re-profiling a serrated edge looks sloppy unless you have a lot of patience and the right tools.
 
Tuco Ramirez said:
Seems like every poster in this thread prefers the plain edge, including me. I wonder what was the origin of the combo-edge trend...
Click to expand...


because they work.

Because Ernest knows they work. The CQC8 that he gave my friend to use in Iraq is partially serrated.

I prefer plain edge on my "ho-hum I think I'll carry this one today" edc knives when I'm in civies. But when I'm not in civies, out actually doing work that matters, I carry combo-edges (SARK BTS on every mission since 2003, Mini-Commander on most). Because they work, and they work faster than plain edges.

When all you have in life is cardboard, PE is fine, but some people face multi-layer nylon strappage, SPIES ropes, and other mission quality materials that simply do not respond well to plain edges of any sharpness. You're not going to "Jerry Fisk" your way through a Fast-Rope with any folder, even an Emerson.

When you have to saw at your material because sharpness alone isn't cutting it, you'll wish you had serrations.

Certainly someone will say that you don't need serrations if your knife is sharp enough.
To that person I say, "Try to get out of the house more often".

BTW, I have a LNIB CQC-8 BT I'll trade for a LNIB CQC-8 BTS, see the Exchange trade forum for details.
 
I do believe it's all personal preference. I know more service members who prefer knives with combo edged to plain edged blades. That may actually say something about the usefulness of serrated and combo edged blades. I regularly carry an HD-7 that has a black combo edged blade and I find the serrations can be very handy. I fly model rockets and the parachute cords are made of Kevlar and when I need to cut one the serrated portion handles them very efficiently. Now on a knife that has a blade with a lot of belly like the Commander I do prefer plain edge.

Andrew
 
JWBirch said:
because they work....

When all you have in life is cardboard, PE is fine, but some people face multi-layer nylon strappage, SPIES ropes, and other mission quality materials that simply do not respond well to plain edges of any sharpness. You're not going to "Jerry Fisk" your way through a Fast-Rope with any folder, even an Emerson. ...
Click to expand...

Right-on! If you'll ever encounter "mission quality materials", you'll want serrations. I have no plan on ever encountering anything that I can't easily slice with my smooth edge, so I stick with it since it's easier to sharpen and keep sharp. I've carried both combo and smooth edged EDC knives and still prefer the smooth...

Ever cut yourself with a serrated blade!?!:eek: (I have!)
 
HomeBru said:
Right-on! If you'll ever encounter "mission quality materials", you'll want serrations. I have no plan on ever encountering anything that I can't easily slice with my smooth edge, so I stick with it since it's easier to sharpen and keep sharp. I've carried both combo and smooth edged EDC knives and still prefer the smooth...

Ever cut yourself with a serrated blade!?!:eek: (I have!)
Click to expand...

Gotta return the favor. You are absolutely right about it being easier to keep a PE blade sharp, that's the main reason I prefer PE when I'm just going about "the good life" :D
jb
 
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