why do people not like serrations?

M

migo

Joined
Dec 28, 2001
Messages
243
I've seen a few posts about not liking knives with serrations, and the majority of knives I've seen are plain edged, meaning that's what the market wants. Why is this?
 
I don't care for them since they (for me) are hard to sharpen properly once they get dull and I'm not a fan of the way they look.

They have their place on certain blades but nothing that I use daily.
 
People don´t like serrations because they don´t know how to sharpen them. Spyderco Sharpmaker works great!
 
well combo edges are generally disliked because you dont have enough room for each plain and serrations to use the knife effectively, if you want the combo edge, buy a PE knife and a SE knfie and carry both.
 
I don't dislike serrations. For some jobs they are clearly superior to plain edges, and I do own a serrated Spydy Tenacious that I keep clipped to my life jacket, because it is great for cutting straps and ropes. However, for general use, the plain edge is more versatile. It will do what a serrated can, plus lots of ordinary tasks not well done by serrated blades.
 
Funny you should ask. Even though I like the way my serrated steak knife slices through a 'medium' steak or my bread knife saws through a loaf of bread, I'm just not comfortable with serrations on my EDC. Probably has something to do with being 62 years old and growing up with straight edged pocket knives. ;)
 
That's something I've been thinking (the steak and bread knives). I find my serrated knives are great, and I'd rather an all serrated knife if anything. I don't recall doing anything that actually required a plain edge ever, but I've found myself doing some detail work that required the serrations.
 
A Spyderco Sharpmaker will not work forever. At some point if the knife is heavily used, the serrations will need to be recut. It is really tough to replicate the insanity of a factory Spyderco serrated edge.

If you only cut the things that serrated knives are for; ie synthetic rope/strapping you really only need to touch them up once in a while.

Combo edges are crap. Not enough serration and the plain part wears faster and leaves the serration sticking out as the blade shrinks.

Serrations can do things a plain edge can't though.
 
I think because either A. people don't know how to sharpen them or B. people are used to using dull serrated blades and don't know what sharp ones feel like in use or C. they tried them and found they didn't offer an advantage over a sharp PE blade for them.

I've used well sharpened PE and SE blades side by side, and I found that with extremely few exceptions, they can both do exactly what the other can do.

Yes, I can slice bread, thick poly rope and seatbelts with a PE blade.

Yes, I can make fine push cuts in foods, construct a figure 4 trap, make feathersticks for a fire and trim my nails with a SE.

They each have their pros and cons, but calling one useless is absolutely ignorant. One might not work as well for a particular use, but they are each far from useless.

I found either edge type extremely easy to touch-up on the sharpmaker. I can take a somewhat dull SE blade and have it push cutting thin paper in about a minute. Same with PE.

Rossi Knives said:
Serrations can do things a plain edge can't though.
Click to expand...

Like what?
 
Last edited:
migo said:
I've seen a few posts about not liking knives with serrations, and the majority of knives I've seen are plain edged, meaning that's what the market wants. Why is this?
Click to expand...

For me, it really depends on the intended use of the knife. If I know I'm going to be cutting a lot of very fibrous material, serrations are great. If I'm going to be batoning with the knife, I would rather not have serrations since they act as stress concentrators. Just my two cents.
 
I prefer the way a sharp plain edge cuts. (And yes, I know how to sharpen my serrations). I have not found a material that I cannot easily cut with a plain edge, that serrations would work better for. By the time you're really sawing away (like on a branch), you might as well have a real saw.

I realize that serrations will cut through materials effectively even when they get dull. This is not the case with a plain edge. This issue doesn't really affect me, though. I never allow my knives to be anything but extremely sharp. I haven't even used a bread knife in over a year. My chef's cleaver cuts bread more cleanly and with less effort than my serrated bread knife (granted, the cleaver is a much better blade).

If you aren't someone who sharpens their blades weekly, serrations do have their place. Personally I only get them when I have no choice, like on my ZT 0650st.

Phillip
 
Apart from not liking how they look, this is a great synopsis as far as my thinking goes. Plus, I'm quite certain my PE EDC would cut cleanly and quickly through any seat belt or similar material. I never carry a dull knife. quite the contrary actually :D

gundude73 said:
well combo edges are generally disliked because you dont have enough room for each plain and serrations to use the knife effectively, if you want the combo edge, buy a PE knife and a SE knfie and carry both.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
life's too short to own ugly s***.

I also find that even sharp serrations have a tendency to tear and I don't like that at all.
 
Serrations are fine, but just out of most people's everyday practical use. i think that is why the market is biased on the Plain edged blades.

To me, I don't need the serrations, if I had to cut rope and work on tough cutting everyday, I would go with SE, but for today and tomorrow, it'll be the Plain Edge's time
 
I think serrations are great - for certain applications.
I prefer a plain edge because in my experience it has been more versatile over the long run.
Yes, a fully serrated knife will outcut a plain edge for certain specific tasks, especially ones that cause a lot of edge wear -- like cutting fibrous material.
what I have little use for is combo edges -- like most compromises, you rarely get enough of either to be effective, especially on short blades.
 
I don't mind serrations but then again I'm not a huge fan of them. Reason being, I don't have a need for the serations and they are a pain to sharpen. Plain edge knives for what I need them for, are better.
 
About the only advantage I find over a plain edge is cutting ropes and straps. SE has its place, I always use them boating and the like, but they tend to rip and tear rather than cut any other material I can think of. I do keep them plenty sharp using the Sharpmaker.
 
I heard this on here.

"People think with combo edges your getting the best of both worlds, except you're only really getting half of each."
 
Combo edges are the worst. They put the serrations in the area where I want a nice sharp plain edge for controlled cutting/carving/notching.
 
Interesting point of view, although it does seem to be plain edged biased. Sure I'd like a fully serrated blade, but hardly anyone makes those. Combo edge is as much serration as you're going to get most of the time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top