The Elitist's War on Bushcraft: Part II !!! SERRATIONS!!!

The reason the Corps selected the OKC3S is so that Marines could carry a bayonet that was also a good field knife, so as to not have to carry another knife for such chores (which would leave them carrying a bayonet, a field knife, and the much-needed multitool). So, you learn to use it to do field chores. As far as it being impossible to do bushcraft without the thumb (note I said of the grip hand) on the spine, you find ways around that. Like using the thumb of the support hand on the spine.

Although some may want to gouge a man's eyes out with a pitchfork for using such for bushcraft, it's really just like anything else: you leanr the strengths of a tool and learn work arounds for its weaknesses. It's all in being smarter than the tool.

Oh, and the serrations on the OKC-3S are bomber for making fuzz sticks.
 
Skrapmetal said:
I don't like serrated knives for anything but rope cutting.
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I purchased about 8 different types of rope to test because everyone used that as a plus for serations. I found serations to perform far worse at rope cutting than a good sharp plain edge. Also, when serrations start to loose their edge they grab and snag and make it all but impossible to cut many types rope.
 
zpstl321 said:
I purchased about 8 different types of rope to test because everyone used that as a plus for serations. I found serations to perform far worse at rope cutting than a good sharp plain edge. Also, when serrations start to loose their edge they grab and snag and make it all but impossible to cut many types rope.
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When things are dull is when there is an advantage. A dull serrated knife can still cut rope... even if it is messy. A dull plain edge just simply can't cut it.
 
I hate serrations, but I don't mind you using them one bit. Have you been harassed for your choices in the past or something?
 
Carbon1 said:
Hey plumberroy, just to be clear, I didn't assume anything, and certainly not incorrectly. Well, I guess I assumed you had an adult level of reading comprehension, because I said "DULL straight edge" VS. dull serrations, not "freshly field-sharpened straight edge VS. dull serrated edge." You still lose. Moving on, OwenM, they were chisel ground. I repent publicly, buddy, but you called it. And I like that bayonet, Ulfhedinn. The horrors is right, when you put that thumb on the spine, the only thing you are is in COMPLETE CONTROL! YEAH! And you're right, I used a Cold Steel on purpose. Somebody save my spot in the Ninth Circle of Hell...
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First if you like serrated use them I don't care what you use if it works for you.
You made This statement in the original post
Take your dull straight edge
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Implying my knife
That doesn't happen with my knives if they are in my hand as soon as the edge loses acceptable sharpness I have a stone or steel out touching it up or I switch to the other knife I have .
The implication of it being my knife is where your asumption was incorrect
Yes I am splitting hairs here.:D
If you would have said " a dull straight edge " I would begrudgingly agree with you
But I still don't like the damn things
Roy
 
plumberroy said:
First if you like serrated use them I don't care what you use if it works for you.
You made This statement in the original post
Implying my knife
That doesn't happen with my knives if they are in my hand as soon as the edge loses acceptable sharpness I have a stone or steel out touching it up or I switch to the other knife I have .
The implication of it being my knife is where your asumption was incorrect
Yes I am splitting hairs here.:D
If you would have said " a dull straight edge " I would begrudgingly agree with you
But I still don't like the damn things
Roy
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Exactly. Why would my knife be dull? I know how to sharpen so it's a non-issue for me as well. I'm still of the opinion that serrations are for people who can't or won't maintain their edges. They're popular because 99% of the public will NEVER have their knives sharpened. So it makes sense for them. It doesn't for me.

Of course there are a few exceptions for some specific jobs like cutting on ceramic plates and such.
 
If one touches up their blade with a ceramic or diamond rod, you can touch up your serrations at the same time.
 
plumberroy said:
First if you like serrated use them I don't care what you use if it works for you.
You made This statement in the original post
Implying my knife
That doesn't happen with my knives if they are in my hand as soon as the edge loses acceptable sharpness I have a stone or steel out touching it up or I switch to the other knife I have .
The implication of it being my knife is where your asumption was incorrect
Yes I am splitting hairs here.:D
If you would have said " a dull straight edge " I would begrudgingly agree with you
But I still don't like the damn things
Roy
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Are you a member of congress? If you can believe that, then you must be a politician. Dull is dull, period. Kind of like the "logic" you're using right now. Dull. You can have the last word now. This argument is getting pretty dull.
 
I have a serrated steak knife. I like it. I have a serrated bread knife and I like it too. My river knife attached to my life vest is partially serrated, a Schrade Firebird (like a Gerber LST). I like to keep it handy to cut braided rope in emergencies. Otherwise I hate serrated or partially serrated knives. I am the semi-elite.:)
 
Codger_64 said:
I am the semi-elite.:)
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That was pretty good. But just to explain the point of this video, and the spirit of the series, by all means, have your preferences. There is a greater knife selection now than ever before, and I am glad that we can go buy pretty much any configuration we can think of. I don't think that serrations are the only way to go, I just wanted to show that you can use just about anything you can get your hands on. Thanks for the laugh, though.
 
Carbon1 said:
That was pretty good. But just to explain the point of this video, and the spirit of the series, by all means, have your preferences. There is a greater knife selection now than ever before, and I am glad that we can go buy pretty much any configuration we can think of. I don't think that serrations are the only way to go, I just wanted to show that you can use just about anything you can get your hands on. Thanks for the laugh, though.
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I think most people aknowledge serations are for folks that don't know a lot about knives, their materials, or how to maintain them. You can use the single sided serations to saw, pull, and rip stuff if you have enough energy. Once they loose their edge people just throw them away or replace them. I say whatever works for folks, so be it. I'd just rather teach them more about blade selection and how to maintain what they have. I think I've pretty much educated everyone in my family and those I work with and they have all upgraded their equipment and now can maintain it themselves. I do understand that some people are not interested in knives though and I'm cool with that too...Let them have their metal teeth. :)
 
zpstl321 said:
My results were quite different!
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Yeah, from those of everybody else who cuts rope with their knives.
Even an aggressive recurve won't hang with serrations on rope, and no plain edge will cut heavy coated rope, or one with a braided shell even a decent fraction as well. For that matter, the reason a plain edge left at a coarser grit will outperform one with a finer polish is that it is microserrated.
 
Can't remember the last time I had to deal with any sort of heavy, coated rope, or any other sort of rope or cord of such thickness that I wasn't able to cut it just fine with a good sharp blade in any backwoods/bushcrafting scenario I've been in.

I understand the point of this series, and I think it's awesome to be poking holes in what tend to be closely-held beliefs. I enjoy doing it myself. I also think it's great to be putting a little fun and levity back into this whole bushcrafting thing that too many people take way too seriously, imo . So despite the fact that I can't understand why anyone would choose a serrated blade for a woods knife if they had a choice, I think it's great to be pointing out that you can make things work with what you have, rather than needing a bunch of specific gear.

That said, serrations truly suck. :D
 
Carbon1 said:
Are you a member of congress? If you can believe that, then you must be a politician. Dull is dull, period. Kind of like the "logic" you're using right now. Dull. You can have the last word now. This argument is getting pretty dull.
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After seeing you only you have a grand total of 26 post most claiming to debunk myths that don't exist. Trying to convince experianced outdoors people that knives designed to bilk greenhorns out of cash are better than tried and true designs I'll waste no more time
Roy
 
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Smithhammer said:
Can't remember the last time I had to deal with any sort of heavy, coated rope, or any other sort of rope or cord of such thickness that I wasn't able to cut it just fine with a good sharp blade in any backwoods/bushcrafting scenario I've been in.

I understand the point of this series, and I think it's awesome to be poking holes in what tend to be closely-held beliefs. I enjoy doing it myself. I also think it's great to be putting a little fun and levity back into this whole bushcrafting thing that too many people take way too seriously, imo . So despite the fact that I can't understand why anyone would choose a serrated blade for a woods knife if they had a choice, I think it's great to be pointing out that you can make things work with what you have, rather than needing a bunch of specific gear.

That said, serrations truly suck. :D
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I do use some heavy rope... climbing rope and cheaper substitutes... in my canoes. Entanglement in a loose rope during a swamping/strainer event is a very clear and urgent danger. I do take precautions to keep ropes secured, but stuff happens. And not always to myself. In fast water, fast action is required. I have found that the small, sharp, serrated blade does sever such ropes and even PFD straps more quickly than most plain edged blades. But as said, most of my outdoor cutting tasks are done with a plain edge blade. Serrations do have their place in the world of outdoor knives, but they are not for everybody. Thinking so would be a mythstake.
 
Codger_64 said:
I do use some heavy rope... climbing rope and cheaper substitutes... in my canoes. Entanglement in a loose rope during a swamping/strainer event is a very clear and urgent danger. I do take precautions to keep ropes secured, but stuff happens. And not always to myself. In fast water, fast action is required. I have found that the small, sharp, serrated blade does sever such ropes and even PFD straps more quickly than most plain edged blades. But as said, most of my outdoor cutting tasks are done with a plain edge blade. Serrations do have their place in the world of outdoor knives, but they are not for everybody. Thinking so would be a mythstake.
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Absolutely. I've spent a lot of my life in and around boats, and a fair bit of time teaching others the same. But the knife I have ready for fast deployment on my PFD (which is partially serrated) is not even remotely what I would consider to be a "woods" knife.

"Mythstake." Love it. :D
 
You guys don't even read his posts, just throw out knee-jerk reactions that prove his point about the narrow-mindedness present in many bushcraft discussions.
He didn't claim that a serrated edge was better than a plain edge for bushcraft, and has only shown that you can use one, while pointing out that in some circumstances serrations can be advantageous.
 
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