What about serrated

R

rkhndjr

Joined
Jun 10, 2010
Messages
189
I have not ordered a Manix 2 yet because my son has a serrated knife and I wondered why that blade edge would serve much purpose. Just a thought. Thanks for any suggestions. I realize it is subjective and my uses will be simple but cannot whittle with it.
 
They gained popularity a few years back and everything went serrated. Most top end knives either don't offer them or make them special options. Too hard to sharpen, not useful for the majority of cutting tasks, etc. I would avoid it unless I were cutting fibrous material like rope a lot and even there a good sharp fine edge is effective.

It was sort of a fad that settled down and has now settled into special uses like dive knives, rescue tools, etc.

I do not expect to buy another serrated knife at any point.
 
If I were to order a Manix 2, I would go plain edge all the way.

I generally prefer plain edge knives, but I have some serrated knives, and have found they can be very useful for many tasks. It all depends. And depending on the serration pattern, if you have a sharpmaker, serrations aren't that hard to resharpen at all, at least the Spyderco serrations. Serrations do become a pain if they are made too long/thin/deep, as they tend to hang up on material you're cutting. But for rope or fibrous material, well-designed serrations are excellent, and cut very fast. For cardboard, though, I've found a good plain edge works better and doesn't stick.
Jim
 
HoosierQ said:
They gained popularity a few years back and everything went serrated. Most top end knives either don't offer them or make them special options. Too hard to sharpen, not useful for the majority of cutting tasks, etc. I would avoid it unless I were cutting fibrous material like rope a lot and even there a good sharp fine edge is effective.

It was sort of a fad that settled down and has now settled into special uses like dive knives, rescue tools, etc.

I do not expect to buy another serrated knife at any point.
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name one cutting task a fully serrated knife can't do that a plain edge can.

serrated is great if you can get past the sharpening difficulty
 
monger4142 said:
better for rope, and generally better for cutting tougher materials.
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That is subjective to opinion because I find a serrated blade performs very poor compared to a well sharpened straight edge.

I know I know, but a serrated blade will keep cutting when dull. Or does it? cutting, and ripping/tearing are two different things.
 
monger4142 said:
better for rope, and generally better for cutting tougher materials.
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Ihave, many times, found co-workers trying to cut rope with fully serrated knives, and ending up with jagged, torn ends on their ropes. I would come in with a plain edged knife, and cleanly, with much less effort, glide through the same ropes, leaving neat, tidy ends. No contest. I have no problem sharpening serrated blades, and get them to split hairs, and before you try, I have used Spyderco serrated knives. I have also used many others. on rope, straps, cardboard, wood, etc., I have never seen a sharp serrated knife outperform a sharp plain edge.
 
monger4142 said:
name one cutting task a fully serrated knife can't do that a plain edge can.

serrated is great if you can get past the sharpening difficulty
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They SUCK for trimming little pieces of wood cleanly. I use a knife all the time running trim and building cabinetry.
 
monger4142 said:
name one cutting task a fully serrated knife can't do that a plain edge can.

serrated is great if you can get past the sharpening difficulty
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Really? OK.

Carving, whittling, skinning, filleting, surgery, shaving, planing, chopping, cutting anything cleanly, and the list goes on.

I have serrated blades for specific tasks like cutting webbing/cord (they work well for that); and my serrated edges are nearly as sharp as my plain edges. That said, I'll take a plain edge any day if I have to pick.
 
I used to be serrato-phobic, but then I saw the light. A serrated blade will tear through clam shell packages, boxes, basically anything, with ease. Fine work, you say? That too. Now, I carry most plain edges, just because I love a killer-sharp mirror edge, but serrated is sweet too. Give it a try sometime. You might like it.
 
powernoodle said:
I used to be serrato-phobic, but then I saw the light. A serrated blade will tear through clam shell packages, boxes, basically anything, with ease. Fine work, you say? That too. Now, I carry most plain edges, just because I love a killer-sharp mirror edge, but serrated is sweet too. Give it a try sometime. You might like it.
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Can't believe you mentioned the clam shell packages! I was thinking the same thing. I generally go for the plain edge but I have a fully serrated spyderco stretch that slices through those clam shells like hot butter. It would take 3 or 4 strokes with a plain edge to make sure I made it all the way through!

Also, I was bored on a work trip once and shaved my chest with the Stretch and it was fine.
 
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