Hi folks,

Does anyone like the partially serrated blades that are so common these days?

I have always used knives with a plain edge (except for on steak and a couple other things <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />), but back around August I saw a Gerber paraframe packaged with the Gerber shortcut for a price that I couldn't pass up. I was looking for the shortcut anyway, and thought I'd finally try a partially serrated edge as a bonus. I've EDC'd the paraframe since then and have come to the conclusion that I'd be happier if it had a plain edge. I occasionally cut rope at scout meetings and thought the serrated section would be perfect for that task. However, it just seems to catch and get hung up. I bend a section of rope over the blade to make the cut. I haven't found any day to day chores where I use the serrations. They have ended up being wasted space on my knife edge and force me to use the part of the blade farther out from the handle to make cuts -- not what I'm used to but working okay.

So what do you guys cut with the serrations??? I'm curious to know if these blades are really useful or if it's all just a fad.

I hope its just a fad... I have yet to find anything except maybe bread, that cuts better with a serrated edge. I think maybe its got to do with the serrations looking "tough", but experience shows me its useless. And before somebody brings up cutting your way out of a downed chopper, that's what the double-saw-tooth on the BACK of the nine inch blade is for, in case you hadn't noticed, unless you're a SEAL or some other branch of the military, you're not gonna have ANY blade on you that will cut through the fuselage, and if you are carrying, you can do a LOT better then a serrated edge on a 2.something inch blade. I guess I should get off my soap-box now, but in my experience, serrated edges are unwanted window-dressing that suck, and while I'm all for choice, it's getting hard to find a good old high carbon, hollow ground, clip point, heavy blade, folder!!!

Whoa, excuse me... got carried away there for a minute... anybody else feel the same way???

Troy

I feel the partially serrated blade is mostly a marketing gimmick. OK, when they first came out they were cool. I got suckered and picked up a few partially serrated blades. Today these are my least/non used knives.

The current partially serrated blades seem to be manufactured backwards. It would make more sense to have the plain edge up close to the handle for clean precision cuts, and the serrated portion out at the end to provide an extended cut on tough rope or other materials. To my knowledge there is only one custom knife maker making a reverse partially serrated blade.

Even with tools like the Spyderco sharpmaker, I still don't like sharpening serrated blades, partial or otherwise. I'm not convinced the aftermarket sharpeners can match the original factory serrated edge.

I also use the flat edge of the Spyderco Sharpmaker to prevent rounding the tip of the knife. When you use the tri-angle edge of the stone (for serrated edges), the tip of the knife drags slightly on the stone when the end of the blade is reached. This will wreck the fine tip on any blade.

Same goes for blades made with thick blade stock. For the most part this again is a sales fad. They look cool, but the cutting ability is always compromised with thick stock. I pocket knife is a cutting tool, not a pry bar. I want mine optimized for cutting. If I need to pry I'll use some other tool.

My current favorite knives are Spyderco Calypso (full size and Jr), Al Mar Nomad, Al Mar Falcon, and Al Mar Sportsman. All use thin or moderate thickness stock, with a flat grind and plain edge. They sharpen easy, touch up easy, and cut like crazy.

TR (I like 'em thin, flat and plain)

I agree, I've never had much use for a serrated blade, give me a plain edge any day!

Try cutting yourself or someone else out of their seatbelt with a straight edge knife. Then you'll know a seriously important reason for carrying a partially serrated blade.

Well, as Pizzaman pointed out, they mostly seem to be backwards. That being said, I prefeer either a partially serrated blade, or a serrated blade with a straight edge in one knife. I think they are worth while one heavy, fiberous material, like webbing, rope or cardboard boxes. Curogated carboard is hard on edges, and I would say it takes about half the energy to cut them up with a serrated edge than with a plain blade. With some informal tests, I would say that serrated blades don't cut rope or webbing as cleanly, but much more quickly.

And they go through leather a lot better. If you are on or around reclaimed pasture land, you know what kind of weird stuff lies lurking in the underbrush a hundred years later. I've never had to cut my boot off to get unstuck, but it's been close a time or two.

In a survival knife the forward curve is crtical for shaving decent feather sticks. Serrations are on knives because knifemakers respond to fads and can charge money for them. My Fallkniven has a small choil at the base of the blade near the hilt. I complimented Fallkniven's owner on it's near perfect size for working survival wire. Peter replied with thanks, but pointed out that indentation and the lanyard hole were actually used during production to secure the blanks <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> At least you don't have another fad, the guthook. Friend of mine decided it was a nifty nail puller. His cosmetically 'bling bling' knife went 'ping ping' snapping in half.

I've got my choice of three blades on a stockman in my pocket that'll get through a seatbelt just as fast as any serrated blade out there. A dull blade is a useless blade.

Troy

I dont like partial. I like the whole knife to be one or the other.
I do beleive that Victorinox have started making blades with serations around the curve to the tip, and the straight edge plain, but I wont be buying one.
I dont buy knives with serations because they have them, in fact the only serated edges I have are on my multitools. I have used the serated blade on my Wave quite a few times at work on cardboard and other material that doesnt cut quite as easy with the plain edge, or when I dont want to damage my main blade. But most times I go for the plain edge.

I'm definitely a plain edge person, having lived nearly half a century without even coming close to having to slice open a seat belt. Maybe I live a boring life. I'm pretty sure my EDC Ritter mini-grip would do the job if necessary.

Campmor.com used to sell a Victorinox One-Hand Trailmaster Swiss Army Knife that had serrations on the tip half and a plain edge on the handle half. I bought one but never really liked it for two reasons:

>The blade always felt too thin/long and kind of sloppy - wiggley (hard to explain)
>I didn't want to dull up the serrations since I didn't know how to sharpen them (pre Sharpmaker days)

Campmor currently sells a One-hand Trekker, which looks very similar.

I think the Victorinox Fireman One-Hand Opener listed on http://www.knifecenter.com is a similar knife, with the same serrations, but with an added seat belt cutter blade (has a dull point).