Serrations

O

orthogonal1

Joined
Oct 30, 2005
Messages
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I was recently making some wooden tent stakes and, while cutting the points, it occurred to me that the serrations on the knife I was using were ground on the wrong side of the blade for a right-handed person, i.e. when cutting away from me, the knife wanted to cut deeper into the wood.

Am I the only one who is of this opinion?

Further, anyone know why serrations are usually ground into the left side of the blade (as observed with the point of the knife facing away from the user)?
 
Probably looks better in a picture....
I have no idea....
Basically all knives have the serrations ground on the wrong side. They should be on the clip side.

BUT you are using your knife in the sticks. Serrations have no business there anyway. Just use a plain edge and keep it sharp. Serrations are good in suburbia where you have to cut plastics / fiborous materials a lot. They are useless for bushcraft / wittling
 
They are ground that way because they look better. ;)

With the blade in your right hand, you can see the edge bevels, which makes the edge look more aggressive and more conventional. From the back side the serrations are less noticeable, and the blade looks like a zero grind (no edge bevel) which is less suited to hard use due to the very thin edge. In use, it is indeed backward for right-handed use, unless you are draw-cutting.

Spyderco has made some left-handed serrated models in the past such as as the lefty Police, with the clip moved to the left side and the serrations ground on the right. The serrated blades on my Leatherman Wave and Crunch are also ground on the right side.
 
Sounds like the serrations are doing their job.

You are just using the wrong tool for the job.
 
slightly off-topic, but are there any manufacturers that have a double bevel serrated edge? If not, why?
 
I thought CRK (Chris Reeve Knives) made serrations where the grinds alternated from left side to right side.

I think that expensive technique of making serrations could be better in a saw-like application.
 
The only knife I own with serrations on the right side of the blade is the Benchmade/Elishewitz 910SGC.

I don't think the wrong tool 'for the job' is being used, it's more the result of marketing...putting the serrations on the left does make for a better photo but negates scoring a straight line when used in the right hand. I've tried it, left-ground combo blades DO make the cut go deeper.

Emerson even said the design of the original CQC7 had the chisel grind and serrations on the left for that very reason.

So being a rightie, my 910SCG cuts better than my 970S does, by far.
 
s.c. said:
slightly off-topic, but are there any manufacturers that have a double bevel serrated edge? If not, why?
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There may be some, but it's not common because the edge would get very thin. Perhaps as blade steels and grinding techniques improve it will be possible.
 
Blade21 said:
BUT you are using your knife in the sticks. Serrations have no business there anyway. Just use a plain edge and keep it sharp. Serrations are good in suburbia where you have to cut plastics / fiborous materials a lot. They are useless for bushcraft / wittling
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They can be very useful. Serrations can be used for many field applications. You just have to take the time and imagination to learn how to apply them.
 
I think serrations on knives are a bit over-rated. In my experience, a well maintained and properly sharpened straight edge can do just about whatever a serrated edge can, but not been vice-versa.
 
There are some things that serrations do better than plain edge, but if I had to do without one or the other, I'd stick with plain.
 
Cannon916 said:
I think serrations on knives are a bit over-rated. In my experience, a well maintained and properly sharpened straight edge can do just about whatever a serrated edge can, but not been vice-versa.
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Overrated where? The normal consensus on just about every knife forum, in every thread where this subject is broached, is exactly what you expressed: that serrations are pretty much useless.

Of course that flies in the face of reality and what those of us that like and use serrations know...i.e. they can be pretty useful. The combo-edge provides the best of both worlds. ;)

Those that are quick to criticize serrations almost always manage at some point in the thread to showcase the fact that they don't need them because they're part of that elite group of knife owners that know how to sharpen a knife...the implication being that only those who can't sharpen need serrations as a fallback. Yeah, right...:rolleyes:

Ray :)
 
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They are just silly anyway...i guess if you did nothing but cut rope all day then they would be ok.:thumbdn:
 
I'd rather not see this thread turn into a "serrations: good or bad" thread.

Serrations are proven to be useful for cutting certain materials, the oft-mentioned polypro rope being a generic type of material. Cutting synthetics, i.e. plastics, seem to be where serrations often come into their own.

The issue I was hoping to see a discussion concerning is whether or not serrations are usually applied to the correct side of the blade for the average right-handed user.

It appears that serrations are applied primarily for looks, visual purposes, to the "left" side of the blade and therefore not optimal (a bit of Stampism :) ) for the right handed user.

BTW - I am fully cognizant that I was using a half serrated knife in a less than ideal cutting situation, but that day I rotated in a Blackwater 16600SBT for the joy of carrying that knife - good knife design, IMO.
 
I think it is one of the very few places where Spyderco lets looks trump function. The Deacon mentioned the same thing. He calls it lefty's revenge ;)
 
orthogonal1 said:
I'd rather not see this thread turn into a "serrations: good or bad" thread.

Serrations are proven to be useful for cutting certain materials, the oft-mentioned polypro rope being a generic type of material. Cutting synthetics, i.e. plastics, seem to be where serrations often come into their own.

The issue I was hoping to see a discussion concerning is whether or not serrations are usually applied to the correct side of the blade for the average right-handed user.

It appears that serrations are applied primarily for looks, visual purposes, to the "left" side of the blade and therefore not optimal (a bit of Stampism :) ) for the right handed user.

BTW - I am fully cognizant that I was using a half serrated knife in a less than ideal cutting situation, but that day I rotated in a Blackwater 16600SBT for the joy of carrying that knife - good knife design, IMO.
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You are absolutely right...sorry for straying from the subject at hand. Of course, your original subject has now pretty much been exhausted...i.e. most of us agree that they are normally on the wrong side for right handers because of the looks-trumps-function mentality of most manufacturers. ;)

Ray :)
 
reholli said:
Overrated where? The normal consensus on just about every knife forum, in every thread where this subject is broached, is exactly what you expressed: that serrations are pretty much useless.
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I never said serrations were "pretty much useless". Please re-read what I posted.

reholli said:
Of course that flies in the face of reality and what those of us that like and use serrations know...i.e. they can be pretty useful. The combo-edge provides the best of both worlds. ;)
)
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I will admit it may fly in the face of your reality. You have your experience and I have mine. I started with "I think" and "In my experience". I never said nor implied my word was law, nor anyone who thought anything other than me is wrong.

reholli said:
Those that are quick to criticize serrations almost always manage at some point in the thread to showcase the fact that they don't need them because they're part of that elite group of knife owners that know how to sharpen a knife...the implication being that only those who can't sharpen need serrations as a fallback. Yeah, right...:rolleyes:

Ray :)
Click to expand...

Well I certainly wouldn't say something dumb like a dull straight blade is always better than serrations. I think we can both agree thats not true. Part of using a knife is keeping it well maintained and sharp. However, I just re-read my previous post, and still do not see where I implied anyone who uses serrated knives cannot sharpen their blades, nor that serrations are a fallback. If the shoe fits, wear it, but remember the two caveats I started with, "I think" and "In my experience".
 
It seems to me that the three main advantages of serrations on a knife are...

1. They dig or bite into smooth things such as hard plastic more effectively.

2. You can use it to Saw through coarse material further than a straight edge can go... (try cutting through a Phone book)

3. The inside of the individual grooves stay sharper a little longer between sharpening. (even though they are more tedious to sharpen)

As far as the serrations being on the Left side of the blade go... I seems to me that it makes it easier to slide the blade of the knife under something like a strap with your right hand, while not damaging the item you are trying to cut said strap away from.
I believe Even a Fully serrated knife should have a good straight edge piece on it for fine work.

But I suppose that just my opinion.
 
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