When is Serrated useful and when is it not?

i think i really used a surrated blade once on my kershaw cyclone for cutting a weed.
when i first got into knives i thought the complete opposite.
 
I've found a serrated edge most useful in ripping through fibrous materials, like rope or vegetation (vines, weeds, small twigs, etc.). Especially if you had to cut through it very fast, such as in an emergency situation (such as cutting a seatbelt in a burning/sinking car). I think there's good reason why firemen/EMTs often carry & use serrated blades...
 
I sawed through a chunk of carpet today with the Rescue blade on my Swisstool RS. My Mini grip didn't really do anything to it.
 
Rope, hoses, plastic tubing and sheet.
Useless for whittling, cutting paper or cloth.
 
Keep it sharp, and the only thing I don't like to cut with serrations is... Umm... oh boy that's a tough one.

Once I figured out how to properly sharpen a fully serrated edge the ZDP Endura became my favorite hard use folder. Serrations work like magic on cardboard, and cut paper just fine as long as it's sharp enough to push cut.
I think the one thing I would not want to cut with a serrated blade is a hard material that binds heavily, or something you have to chop through, like hardwood or 1/4" Lexan. I would not use a serrated edge on those.
Anything in thin sheet form, no problem.
 
When the serrations are located on the front/belly of the blade and not the rear of it. Then they are good! keepem sharp
 
I know that serrations don't seem to be very popular but in my experience serrations add a tremendous amount of cutting power to a small knife. Although this is probably more true with a fully serrated blade like my old Vaquero Grande, than the 50/50 models.
 
I prefer fully serrated blades to part-serrated. That being said, i dont really mind a part-serrated blade on my edc blade. And as long as the task dosent require a clean cut, serrations can do almost everything just as good as a plain edge.

Only time i dont like serrations is on my outdoors knife. As another stated, they suck at fine wood work.

I think they excel at slicing through rope, bread, ripe soft tomatoes, plastic, cardboard, etc.

And a serrated blade will not dull as fast as a plain edge.
 
in my expierience, serrations are excellenct for cutting fiberous materiel, but a plain-edge will excell in self defense.
 
Serrated is very useful when you've just caught a tarp in the auger of your snowblower and have to cut it off of your shaft fast in the middle of a snowstorm in the dark with freezing fingers. After this experience, I just point and laugh when somebody says "serrations are useless, plain edge is better for everything". Nope.
 
Bet That Hurt said:
Serrated is very useful when you've just caught a tarp in the auger of your snowblower and have to cut it off of your shaft fast in the middle of a snowstorm in the dark with freezing fingers. After this experience, I just point and laugh when somebody says "serrations are useless, plain edge is better for everything". Nope.
Click to expand...

ditto that...i prefer my combo edges in everything but slicing meat/foods...in most utility tasks they cut thru fast (and i don't care if it's a rough cut in most cases)...and "in general", i don't need to sharpen serrations (though if i'm bored i might)...
 
Things that are fibrous and things that a saw would be appropriate on. Past that not much that I wouldn't rather have a PE for. They have their place but for my edc they don't seem to be to an advantage. That said I still love my serrated delica from 1995 :)
 
Just remember one big caviat about serrated blades. Most of the ones on the open market are not worth snot. Being a very devout Spyder-Head and a devout follower of the superbly designed Spyderedged blades they make I can say without hesitation that few knife companies have ever made serrated blades that perform anywhere near the level that Spyderco's do.

Now the one brother about 8 posts ahead of me made mention of his serrated blade on his Victorinox Swiss tool. Well I have to give him a "high-five" because I just used the serrated blade on my Victorinox Swiss Tool 2 days ago and it surprised me immensely at how well it cut. And to look at the serration pattern on that blade you wouldn't have thought it would have been anything worth while. But in one sense it didn't surprise me because I've always had a lot of respect for Victorinox because in their price range they are tops in my book.

In the arena of survival I don't think there's any limit to what you could do with a superior designed serrated blade. But until you get a serrated blade of superior quality you won't appreciate them like I now do. And I can understand why a lot of the brethren here on BF don't like them. Because I didn't either until I finally got a knife with a great serration pattern on it.
 
Serrated is great as long as its on its own blade and not mixed with a plain edge, it ruins the effectiveness of both edges. Buck used to make the cross lock, one model that I loved was a twin blade, with a serrated sheeps foot blade & a drop point plain edge. the best of both worlds.If memory serves it was called the Deputy. The serrated edge handled Rope, Burdock and plastic banding straps with ease, plain edge was a good utility blade that took care of every thing else.

P.S. Serrated edge, Dont love it, I dont hate it just another tool in the tool box
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top