I've never had a combo blade, so I am not speaking from experience. I normally dislike any "combo." Combo usually equals compromise; you get a couple of things all rolled into one, and neither work as well as you hope. In this case, you get a short (unless you are talking a long blade here) straight blade, whick will not slice as well as a full length straight, and you get a short serrated section, which will not necessarily cut thru something like a seat belt as well as a full length serration. I have cut quite a few seatbelst in my time, with my
Spyderco Rescue (which I lost a couple of weeks ago, sniff sniff), and using that experience, I think that it would not be as easy with a short section of serration...

That's what I did, except first got the Endura, then later the Sharpmaker (from LeBaron, likely same as you). I EDC the Endura (and a Squirt). I have no idea what people here think of it, but it's a good everyday working size for me and I carry it inside the waistband. Fits perfectly for me, I'm not that big, biggest knife I could comfortably and stealthily wear. Seems a reasonably durable blade steel, it's not serrated.

Many people think of it this way: A combo blade is really one tiny plain edge and one tiny serrated edge put together. I own a few combos, so I can testify to this. I don't carry them too often, anymore.

Knife - Total cutting edge - Serrated edge - Plain edge
Native - 2 1/2" - 1 7/8" - 5/8"
Mini Grip 556 - 2 3/4" - 7/8" - 1 7/8"
Griptillian 550 - 3 1/4" - 1 1/4" - 2"

I don't know about you, but I find cutting edges under 1" to be pretty useless. Even as big as the Griptillian is, the two sections are relatively short. If I think I'm going to need a serrated blade, I carry a fully serrated blade. In that case, I usually carry a plain edge, also.

Frankly, I'm not sure why they call the Native a "Combo". For all intents and purpuses it's fully serrated.

Kevin B.

I personally don't like serrations one bit, for one thing a pain too sharpen (that’s why spyderco made there sharpener) nope still a pain. they don't do anything better then a plain blade, well maybe make a more nasty wound in an attacker and cut bread. And whittling is more difficult. As far as cutting thru seatbelts I don’t have a lot of experience with serrations , but haven’t had any problems with a plain blade that was properly sharpened. And a good quality knife sharpened properly will stay shape for quit some time.


Oops ,I think I was ranting. My apologies.

I used to be all about the combo knives - I think I thought they looked "meaner" or "cooler." I have since given away/sold off all my combo knives, save one I use as a beater.

I know that serrations are supposed to cut line better, and this may just be me (however I do cut A LOT of line), but I like my super sharp plain blades better for that task. The serrations seem to bite in and stick. The plain blade just absolutley dominates the line and slices right through it quite smoothly.

Just a thought - plain blades can cut just as good.

Matt

A blade of good steel will hold an edge for quite a while.

Also, it's not that hard to do touch ups daily or after use - what gets hard is having to totally reprofile the blade after a long span of abuse.

A strop handy during whatever cutting task you are currently engaged in should keep the blade up to par for the time being; I use the top of my leather boots.

My older Wave tool had a combo blade, and I liked having the partial serrations because the grooves worked better at times for trimming coax. Unfortunately the edge on the serrations tended to roll a lot more often when cutting stainless braid and even when cutting plated copper braid. I also tended to nick the center conductors a bit more often with the serrations because the leverage effort was too great to use the plain edge to cut through the cable properly. I've since reverted to just a plain edge. In fact, my current Wave tool has both a full plain edge blade and a full serrated blade, so compromise is no longer a factor.

The choice of an EDC knife is really up to the individual. Right now my EDC is Spyderco Endura. Outdoors, either a 5" Frost knife for utility work or a Kabar if I'm setting out for a longer trip. In either case, I always complement a belt knife with my Leatherman Wave. There is also a small SAK in my survival kit.

I EDC my SOG FLASH II. I LOVE the way it fits in my hand and I've TOTALY abused the knife over the years. Scraping steel with it, cutting wire, etc. I've never *gasp* sharpened it and the blade is pretty dinged up, scraped, etc but it keeps on working.

My benchmade (the cabelas) one is another favorite.

-Todd

That's interesting. As someone who owns and uses both, I have to make the observation that a plain edge is better for "bushcraft" but a combo edge is better for a survival situation. I make that distinction because my own personal experience suggests that on a per calorie basis a combo edge seems slightly better for cutting wet wood away from dry core wood or for making feather sticks etc. If however I need finesse, for making a figure four dead fall trap perhaps, then a straight edge is better.


For preference:
Pocket knife combo.
Fixed blade straight edged.


Before anyone bites my head off I am making a distinction here between an ordinary member of the public and highly skilled "bushcrafters" like the more prominent forum members.