Serrations

Dorito Monk said:
Haha, you're probably right. I'm probably a bit paranoid about serrated knives - they really fudging HURT. :eek: :(

I still don't have feeling in most of that finger...
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Sorry about your loss... of feeling!

Glad you have a sense of humor!
 
Generally I prefer Plain edged knives, but do find serrations useful on occasion. Have been impressed by the serrated blade on original Leatherman WAVE:

Serrated-Blade-Leatherman-Wave.jpg
 
Ah...such a timeless debate.
No serrations and no guuuutttt-hooooks.
Serrations are a life-style choice I guess.
S.F.4.L.
 
I consider serrations a must have on any EDC. For me the EDC folder is primarily an emergency problem solving device. IMO, Spyderco makes the best serrated knives hands down. If you need to have the most cutting power you could possibly carry but are limited to a small EDC then in my opinion nothing compares to a full serrated Spyderco. I have cut things with a serrated Delica that would have taken all day to cut with a plain edge or could not have been cut at all, and we tried both. I will give you just one of many examples. I used to work where we would get bins made of super thick heavy cardboard, I'm talking half inch thick stuff. On occasion we would need to cut holes or remove some material from them. I was able to do this easily with a full serrated Delica, where as plain edge knives simply couldn't touch it. Even a new utility knife was very slow to cut this stuff. I'm not trying to convince anyone here other than to say try it out if you are curious. I can also see the other side because if your tasks never require you to need the extreme cutting power of a full serrated blade then a plain edge is clearly the way to go.
 
I don't see how one could even argue this... It definitely depends on the job you need your knife to do. Serrations cut thick or hard things much quicker and more efficiently than a plain edge. A well sharpened plain edge can slice through most anything however, maybe not as quickly as serrations, and some tasks require the plain edge for the neater cut. I prefer a combo edge, you never know when those serrations will come in handy!
 
I find that straight edge knives can do everything a serrated knife can, but a serrated knife cannot do everything a straight edge knife can.

However if it were a pure rescue knife, or last ditch knife I'm all for serrations, but full serrations.

Just my 2cents

~Zim
 
I have nothing against either. They each have their place depending on the person and the task.

Typically I carry a plain edge because I tend to encounter tasks where a plain edge has the advantage...at least for me. But recently I started toying with carbidized edges and I am really liking them. Think a plain edge with very, very small serrations. You can still do stuff like whittle wood with it but then it also excels at sawing motions like a serrated knife. I made myself a carbidized Ti model I've been using for maybe 2 months. I have cut through hundreds of feet of cardboard, several piles of fiber rope, use it as my daily chore knife, etc...haven't sharpened it once and it can still whittle wood, slice cardboard, slice meat/tomatoes, and saw through tough to cut stuff. Not a chance in heck you'll shave with it or cleanly cut paper but it still works for daily chores. I'm finding its a good option for people that don't spend much time with sharpening.
 
At work I use a fully serated military. And when I'm off my main blade will be plain edge (usually). But I always like to have a serated blade with me. So I carry my leather man charge. I think if you have ever really had to use a knife, you will appreciate a fully serated or a combo edge. Just my opinion.
 
I don't see why people keep debating this... It's just a matter of personal preference.
 
Serrations are worse at everything than a properly sharpened edge except for one thing: cutting *freshly baked* crusty breads. Which is why the only serrated knife you should own is a bread knife. And make sure it's a very cheap one you don't mind throwing away when it gets too dull (I recommend the Ikea bread knives) because it's not even worth sharpening serrations.
 
Dorito Monk said:
Really? The way I see it, Serrated edges are much more dangerous, for a couple main reasons:
- It's much easier to do horrifying damage to yourself if you slip up - the tearing and ripping effects they are so handy for when cutting bread, carpet, whatever, translate to some really brutal injuries. The only cuts I've ever needed stitches for came from serrated blades - one from a knife that closed on my hand and another from slipping with a bread knife.
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THAT sounds a little bit like saying that sharp knives are more dangerous than dull knives, because they may cut you deeper if you mess up. Serrated knives do cut more aggressively, but that really doesn't have anything to do with how likely you are to mess up and cut yourself. But yeah, I can imagine they can cause some seriously vicious wounds if you cut yourself :(. I hope those cuts healed properly.

Dorito Monk said:
- You're much more likely to mess up and cut yourself when your serrated knife gets snagged on the material you're cutting. Much the same way anyone who's worked in a kitchen or been to Boy Scouts knows that a dull knife is more dangerous because the extra effort it takes to force a dull knife to cut something (sawing, wrenching, reefing on the thing) dramatically increase the likelihood of you slipping up and cutting yourself.
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People say this all the time, I find it interesting. Let's discuss it:
The objection I have against the snagging issue is that I've never really had a serrated knife snag on me unless the edge is fairly dull (there might be a difference in performance between different kinds of serrations here, I use Spyderco serrations). If I had a plain edge that was so dull that an equally dull serrated edge would snag, that plain edge would be so dull that I would have to play the violin with it for quite a while before getting through what I'm cutting, which isn't so safe.

Out of curiosity, have you ever had snagging problems using a really sharp serrated edge and if so in exactly what situations? Also, what kind of serrated edge do you use (brand, model, etc.)?
 
I went ahead and used my new ZT 0560 at work a few times to cut the ends off of a few worn out nylon slings at work. These slings are three ply, VERY heavy duty!! The toothy edge I put on the knife did way better than I could have imagined a smooth edge would do at cutting these muddy old slings.... at first. After the third set, even the great Elmax was having trouble. I had to finish the job with my combo edge Gerber 06. I must agree that MOST tasks are better accomplished with a properly sharpened smooth edge. Tasks like I had to do this past week..... those serrations really shined.

As for keeping the serrations sharp, I use Spyderco Sharpmaker sticks.

Here is a shot of the serrations on the 06...
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If you really want serrations on your ZT 0560, There is a Mr. Veff who offers this service for a reasonable price. Google him.
 
Magnaminous_G said:
Serrations are worse at everything than a properly sharpened edge except for one thing: cutting *freshly baked* crusty breads. Which is why the only serrated knife you should own is a bread knife. And make sure it's a very cheap one you don't mind throwing away when it gets too dull (I recommend the Ikea bread knives) because it's not even worth sharpening serrations.
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Aha...You have Murray Carter's "Sharpening Fundamentals" DVD also.Its a Great Video with lots of Info
 
Scubie67 said:
Aha...You have Murray Carter's "Sharpening Fundamentals" DVD also.Its a Great Video with lots of Info
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;) And he's right. Ever since I started putting proper edges on my knives, it's become apparent that serrations on 99% of knives are to make up for either A) a cheap blade or B) a user who won't sharpen his knives. The 1% of cases where a serrated edge is justified is for a bread knife. So I have a 10" bread knife. I would never even dream of trying to sharpen serrations, digging into each little serration and trying to get it sharp... ugh.
 
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