I am in the process of upgrading my EDC for the sole purpose of having a stronger knife should I need on in an emergency or "survival" situation. I have selected the Benchmade 556 and am undecided about the plain or partially serrated blade. I have carried a knife for decades and have found little use for the partially serrated blade. Am I missing something?

Regards,

Al

ON a larger blade I suppose serrations can be useful but on a blade less than 3", to me it's a "why even bother?" type of question. I had a Delica 50/50 blade that sits in the box now after replacing it with a full plain edge Salt 1. The serrations always got in the way when I was slicing or spreading and they are a bit more difficult to sharpen.

Since I also have a Leatherman in my day pack which has a full length serrated blade and a saw blade in addition to the plain edge blade - I see it as being the best backup tool I've got.

That said - my MK3 is carried in my vehicle kit.

I don't think you're missing anything. The only serrated blade I have is a mostly serrated Spyderco Rescue that stays in the console of my truck, strictly for use on seatbelts should the need arise. None of the knives I carry have serrations.

Al,
The main thing that I personally find serrations useful for is cutting of strap,rope or fabric tubing.
Like many people if I could only choose one, it would be a standard or non-serrated blade.
Because some don't want to carry two knives (standard and serrated); the partially serrated was born.

IMHO the serrated knife is a rescue,escape (egress) or work item not a survival item.

No, you’re not missing anything. Blade serrations are mainly used for sawing fibrous materials such as rope, webbing, fabric, etc. It works great for that use, but makes the knife a complete pain in the butt for anything else. In an emergency or survival situation, you will likely need your knife for more than just cutting rope and so forth, so a plain non-serrated edge is better in my opinion.

Serrations may make cutting rope go faster, but plain edges can cut through it as well (with a little more effort) and are much more versatile and much easier to sharpen (especially in the field).

If you find yourself partial to having serrations, simply carry a multitool that has both a plain-edge and a serrated blade. That way, you can always pull out the serrated blade when it will count the most. Having one blade that’s partially serrated and partially plain-edge just makes a knife that’s kind of a pain in any situation, in my opinion.

I like partialy serrated works good less strain on your hand since you can do the 'saw' motion... there are times when you don't want it as well so it's a toss up

If your main purpose is to be able to cut cordage (or a seat belt) lightning fast, then a serrated blade might make sense. But it is my prejudiced opinion that serrated blades are primarily for people that don't know how to sharpen a knife, and that people that know how to sharpen a knife don't want a serrated blade.

Beyond the limited benefits of a partially serrated blade, you can always put a toothy edge on a plain edge by finishing the sharpening process on a coarse stone. This way you can have a polished edge near the hilt where you want to push cut and a toothy edge at the tip where you draw cut. $.02

Because of this site I bought the Benchmade 556s and I must say I love it. I got the serrated mainly for the seatbelt & rope options. (as has already been mentioned)

The main thing I use my knife for is cutting up fruit - 2 to 3 a day - the length that is non-serrated is plenty long enough for that. I keep the straight edge very sharp.

I guess the question I would ask is why not have the partial serrated?

is there some task/job that it isn't able to perform?

Sharpening is not a problem from what I can tell.

If you know how to sharpen a knife and keep it touched up, there isn't really any good reason for the serrations. I've found that they are really more of a hinderance when trying to get a clean cut. Cutting cardboard or paper just leaves a ragged edge and catches more than it cuts.