Why straight edge?

Artfully Martial

Artfully Martial

Joined
Jun 8, 2005
Messages
4,761
People have been telling me left and right that I should "cut" the 50/50 and go full straight edge on the minigrip I've ordered.

What are the disadvantages of 50/50? I almost never use that part of the blade closest to the hilt anyway.
 
A straight edge is more versatile (in my opinion) and doesn't require 2 different sharpening methods to sharpen it. It boils down to what YOU want though; if 50/50 seems more useful to you, then go for it. Of course, if you really want to get into the spirit of this place, buy both and compare!
 
IIRC, you said you were just using it as SD and occasional utility/hunting, so the 50/50 should suit you fine, but for normal use they get in the way of each other, so either full serrations or no serrations are reccommended. I find it very hard to cut with a bevel, so I like having a full plain blade. If you prefer it, however, go for the 50/50, absolutely nothing wrong with it if you don't need/want a precision cut. Good luck!
 
I'm with Needle.

I like serrations for some things, but IMO on a combo blade where you only have an inch or so of serrations, you just don't have enough to be terribly useful. I'd rather have a plain edge than a combo edge.

That's why I carry both a full sized plain edge and a full sized serrated. The plain edge changes between several autos and balisongs, but the serrated one is always the same: a Spyderco Atlantic Salt. It's thin, light, and unobtrusive enough that it dissappears IWB. Half the time I forget it's there and I have to dig through my laundry to find it.
 
And to add, more often than not, I rarely ever use the serrated edge (BM 707S). I kind of wish now that I bought the nonserrated version of this knife though it wasn't available at the local shop where I bought it.
 
My first two EDC's were combo. And I'd advice anyone against it.
1) You only get a little bit of both. 2.5" of plain and 1.5" serration? Hardly "best of both worlds".
2) You use them adit differently. At least I tend to push more with plain, and pull more with serrations. And if you cut something, what takes a few "cycles" -- move ajusting becomes nuisanse.

Maybe, It's not issue for SD, but pehaps most SD/Utility blades turn into Utility/Just in case... ones rather quickly.
 
In my experience, serrations cut _fast_, but plainedges cut _better_. If you need to get tough materials cut _right_now_, and you're not too particular about how pretty it is, go with a serrated edge. But for most uses, a plainedge'll be more versatile. In any event, the ubiquitous half-serrated knifes that clog the shelves of brick-and-mortar stores are the worst of both worlds. Not enough serrations to really follow through on that aggressive cut, and a plainedge that's out on the end of a stick, too far from the handle for much fine work.

Personally, if I wanted a combo edge knife, I'd get this: :cool:

c39psbk.jpg
 
I probably use the part of the blade closest to the hilt more than any other part. That is the section I use when I cut rope, cardboard, plastic bags and a host of other things. Some of these things I could cut with serrations, but I also need this area for push cutting things like whittling or sharpening a pencil. I would be unhappy to have serrations in this portion of my blade.

One reason that I don't want serrations there is that I keep my knives razor sharp. This allows me to hold materials loosely and cleanly slice them. That is what I do when I slice through plastic or paper. I just can't get and maintain the same edge performance with serrations. You can do a much more sophisticated sharpening job with a straight edge.

For self defense the most important part of the blade for slashing is the belly region just in front of the point. That would be a good place to put partial serrations for SD. The region closest to the hilt comes much less into play for SD and so partial serrations in that region are of limited value for SD.

Now if you don't keep your knives sharp you may want serrations. You will be doing some sawing with the blade. You probably want at least 3 inches of serrations to be really effective. On a short 50/50 blade you may get under 2 inches which doesn't leave you much sawing room.
 
I use the serrations to start a cut on certain materials and finish it with the straight edge. Sometimes I can just rip it in half after the initial slice. And it might just be me, but my serrations stay sharp a lot longer than the straight edge. I think it must be the combination of smaller points creating more pressure and more surface area.

Of course, doing even this is exceedingly rare for me. I'm sure either would be fine, as my knives are almost becoming decoration.

Good points all. I've been thinking of using two EDCs anyway. I can carry my half and half M16 and a rittergrip straight edge.
 
With all due respect to Mr. Clark, my use and opinions of a partially serrated knife are completely the reverse of his---

I get a great edge using the Spyderco Sharpmaker in both the serrations and plain edge areas of my LCC, would not like to have serrations at the front of it, and find the small serrated section at the rear to be just the thing for starting a hard cut, or sawing through stubborn materials.

So I guess the moral of the story is, PS blades can work fine for some people, and others can't find much -if any- use for 'em. There is no single "right" answer.

For a display knife I really prefer an entirely plain edge, but in daily use the partially serrated is handy for opening the Cat Food sack, and the front part zips through nasty Dorito bags like they were nothin'! ;) :D

If you can try both and then you'll know. In this knife game there is no perfect single one, and that's a good thing.
 
He doth utter blasphemies: "Sometimes I can just rip it in half after the initial slice."

I would no more do that than I would (gasp) use scissors when a knife could conceivably be used.
 
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