What are your serrated blade uses?

[seelow123]

I bought my Endura because Spyderco will sharpen their serrations for free.

Stellar! I must get one now. The FS police police is a classic so whenever i do get a FS spydie, The police will be the one.

 

[elkins45]

When you get an eight foot section of nylon rope wrapped around the mandrel of your mower blade a serrated knife is a much faster option than pulling off the deck and removing the blade with a ratchet.

 

[twl]

I think they do well for everything except cutting lightweight paper.
The serrations seem to snag lightweight paper easily.
I like serrations.

 

[Trail Edge]

I had one I carried as a crash knife, horse people call 'em a wreck knife also. I like it in an easy to reach spot on the boat (sailboat) for quick and dirty line cutting with one hand. A blunted tip is nice for this as well.
Oh, and you should buy a shedding comb for your girlfriend! J/K! My wife sheds about that much, too! And she has the nerve to get upset over a few dog hairs...
-Xander

I used to jump out of planes, and if your static line got hung up somehow and were to be dragged (probably banging against the fuelsalage) the jump masters are supposed to cut you free. I carried an old delica (one of the ones with the plastic clip) around 97’. Spyderco actually made a jump master knife that’s pretty cool. I would be cutting from my end too if I was being dragged to get to my reserve.

Cutting rope, meat, and never being too dull to hack through something.
In general, I've found that while serrated edges are better at some specific tasks, they can be useless for many tasks. Plain edges on the other hand, are useful for everything, if they are kept sharp.

I like the ability to sharpen my blades, but if Spyderco has a way to sharpen them, I think I will be on their serration sharpen list. We will see how long the Vg-10 holds and edge in serrated form.

I use my fully serrated pieces for cutting any sort of fibrous material, really, but mostly baling twine and the like out in the barn.

Yeah, I bet hay bales and the like.

Is your girlfriend bald?! I use my serrated edge for everything to be honest. thats why I like partial serrations

Heh’ heh’ naw, she isn’t bald (yet). This has been a good experiment with serrations so far. I was against them in the past.

Yes, I'm in the same boat. I have no use for serrated myself but I can see multiple specialized applications. EMT cutting seat belts etc.

Yeah, I bet seatbelts are though.

I cant stand the SE blades.
I have a brand new Spydie in the box,and there it will stay.
NOTHING beats a really sharp PE.

I used to not like them also, but blades of different types and shapes attract me more now, most ly because of Blade Forums

Seatbelts and airbags. I only have one, and that's it's only use.

Yeah, I didn’t think about air bags though.

I've used SE knives for years, love them. They are used for everything people use plain edge knives for.

Mine rides in my sweat shorts for around the house so far.

Actually serrated blades cut rope and fibrous materials MUCH better than plain edge blades. They definitely have a purpose and excel at it. If they weren't such a pain in the ass to sharpen, I would use them 24/7.

Lol if I was ever tied up, I would prefer to pull out a factory fresh Spyderedge over my paramilitary. That and it’s a lock back, I haven’t seen a Triad tough folder from Spyderco yet.

Rope, zip ties, 'sawing' through plastic, wire stripping, bread...
I am a fan of serrations and combo edged knives, but I did surprise myself by using a super sharp FFG Endura to slice up a big 5lb hunk of raw beef, and it sliced it like butter.

Yeah, sounds like a serious “Shop knife.”

I have used SE knives to cut anything and everything a PE blade can. I used to think they were only for rope but after carrying a few SE knives I realized they perform just as well as PE and often better.

I think originally (as a kid) I tried to carve with a serrated knife and it turned me off about them, but now I just have more ‘tools’ for jobs.

The "steak" they served in the mess hall tonight

Hoo-Ahh!

They're really easy to sharpen. I have seen several instructional youtube videos.
You basically just sharpen the flat side of the serration. No fooling around with ceramic rods of anything, just sharpen the knife like it's a chisel grind.

I’ve seen that done too. It would be cool to have the ceramic rods that fit the groves.

+1 not sure why so many people feel that it's a daunting task. Even a Sharpmaker will make quick work of it. Aside from that, you don't need to "saw" through anything, you can usually push cut your way through stuff much easier with SE than with a PE blade. They hold their sharpness longer too.

A “Good Cook” mid-size kitchen knife got me into serrated knives. I highly recommend looking to see if your grocery store sells them, the best 6 bucks ever.

They're essentially a much longer cutting edge accordion folded into a shorter blade length. More cutting edge per slice, and when cutting on hard surfaces only the points dull while the interior is protected and remains sharp. Initiates cuts easier due to reduced initial surface area at the point of contact for the force applied.
When you need a serrated edge there's nothing else that will do. I prefer plain edges for most tasks but there's no denying the utility of serrated edges. Just don't give me any of that combo edge nonsense!

That reminds me of crushed ice having more surface area to melt. I haven’t gotten into combo blades either (yet).
Here is a pic of the edge from Spyderco

Thanks for the info guys:thumbup: I guess the reason i said that is because i haven't had a lot of experiences with serrated blades and when i did, They were a total PITA to sharpen (But cut very well). I'll have to pick up FS ladybug one of these days to try it out.

I recommend full size bro, it’s a great experiment. Reminds me of having a nip of Jack Daniels on a winters day, jk. I remember Ron Hood saying that about his 4x4 van in a thread.

When you get an eight foot section of nylon rope wrapped around the mandrel of your mower blade a serrated knife is a much faster option than pulling off the deck and removing the blade with a ratchet.

You wouldn’t believe it, but I got a thin sleeping bag wrapped around the drive shaft (and inbetween the cab on the bottom) of my first truck that I worked for and bought as a teenager (I just had a plane edge knife to get it off).

I think they do well for everything except cutting lightweight paper.
The serrations seem to snag lightweight paper easily.
I like serrations.

I haven’t tried lightweight paper yet.

Borrowed pic for the hek' of it.

 

[pilote]

I've used SE knives for years, love them. They are used for everything people use plain edge knives for.

same here...i love combo edge blades

 

[Trail Edge]

Here is the link to where Spyderco says its serration sharpening is complimentary. Scroll down to the bold text where it says "REPAIR INFORMATION
Blade Sharpening: Complimentary on PlainEdges, SpyderEdges and CombinationEdges provided. Please include $5.00USD for shipping and handling."
http://www.spyderco.com/edge-u-cation/index.php?item=10

It's too bad that I didn't see the same offer from Benchmade.

 

[nccole]

Oh, I have dealt with that dreaded vacuum roller too many times. I do not have a fully serrated, so maybe time for one! I usually use a combination if a smaller knife and a pair of scissors to clean mine up. I complain about her hair then she asks if I want her to cut it off, and that gets a resounding NO, so I deal with the side effects of a woman with long hair.

 

[Smaug]

I've used SE knives for years, love them. They are used for everything people use plain edge knives for.

Like whittling? How about cutting a chunk of cheese of the block? A serrated edge would make a crumbly mess out of it. (yes I do "cut the cheese" with my pocket knives )

For slicing-type cuts, you may be right. But for push cuts, you're wrong.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

You CAN whittle with a serrated knife--it just leaves grooves in the wood. Actually works pretty ok for rough-shaping.

 

[threefeathers]

cutting and stripping commo wire.
cutting line either rapelling or a chute.

 

[ecos]

Most of my life I have preferred plain edges over serrated. I can appreciate the serrated edge ability to cut stuff thats hard to cut...and even when the serrations get dull they still cut....we had "laser serrated" steak knives when I was growing up and they cut steak well 10yrs later with never a resharpening......but....I always found myself in a situation where a plain edge did the job better. For example sharpening a pencil. So I always just used them as cheap steak knives, or emergency backup knives for seatbelts, marina rope, etc.

Recently I started playing with carbidized edges and I am really liking them! Think micro-serrations at an rc of 70+. Even when "dull" they will still cut hard-to-cut stuff like seat belts, wet rope, etc., but the serrations are small enough where you can still sharpen a pencil reasonably well, cleanly cut fabric without leaving it a ragged mess, etc.

For me it seems to be the perfect middle of the road solution...its not as aggressively toothed as full serrations so it won't saw as well, and it will never get that super-scary-hair-popping-sharp that a plain edge does(since the edge is jagged), but it does get sharp enough to shave hair, and will continue to slice beyond when a plain edge knife would get dull and slide.

 

[hardheart]

sitting in a drawer

 

[RevDevil]

Like whittling? How about cutting a chunk of cheese of the block? A serrated edge would make a crumbly mess out of it. (yes I do "cut the cheese" with my pocket knives )

For slicing-type cuts, you may be right. But for push cuts, you're wrong.

I use my foldrs mostly for work, I don't think I'd want them touching my food. I don't think I am wrong about push cutting, but then again it all depends on what the material you are trying to separarate is. Can you provide some examples?

 

[monk3yfist]

Cutting bread...

 

[Dr Heelhook]

They're really easy to sharpen. I have seen several instructional youtube videos.
You basically just sharpen the flat side of the serration. No fooling around with ceramic rods of anything, just sharpen the knife like it's a chisel grind.

Won't this round off the points of the serrations? Or are you talking about removing allt the blade stock from the bevel of the flat side?

 

[Dr Heelhook]

+1 not sure why so many people feel that it's a daunting task. Even a Sharpmaker will make quick work of it. Aside from that, you don't need to "saw" through anything, you can usually push cut your way through stuff much easier with SE than with a PE blade. They hold their sharpness longer too.

+1, they push cut much easier. And if they're not quite sharp enough to push cut, you just "shake" the knife a little back and forth as you push and it will cut perfectly. No "sawing needed". I think this is the most misunderstood thing about serrations.

 

[sitka]

I use my serrated blades on everything. Heavy rope, grass, small limbs, tape...you name it. I try to keep the larger serrations on my police or rookie models trued up with a steel or sometimes the top of truck window partially rolled up and then just "clean up the back or flat side. I've done these things for over 25 years now and feel I can get more hard use from my serrated edc for the amount of sharpening than I can a plain edge. I still like a super sharp plain edge, but the serrated edges perform better for me.

 

[wizrd]

Carried a Spyderco Endura fully serrated for the last twenty years of a 31 yr. career in the fire service. Over the years it has cut heavy duty sisal rope, cotton jacketed fire hose, synthetic ropes of all types, rubber reinforced large diameter fire hose, seat belts & restraints, aluminum & copper flashing, shingles, roofing paper, rubber sheet roofing, tarred layers under built-up roofs, sheetrock, wood paneling, tile, carpeting, battery cables , windshield gaskets, anything you could throw at it. It still had a lot of miles in it when I retired 5 years ago, so I gave it to a young guy on my crew, and it's still serving him well. It is a chainsaw without an engine. You can sharpen them & dress the serrations with a tapered diamond hone & it's good as new. Bought a brand new one for myself the day I retired. It's carried a lot & sits by my door to repel the boogymen & overzealous salesmen.

 

[djjonny]

Cutting cabling and stiff plasic

 

[jacksterp]

Really good for slicing small citrus like lemons and limes. Plus they are safer for this task as they won't slip off the fruit like a plain edge could.