I don't like partially serrated knives and think they are not useful ..... but I can be wrong.

So, being PRACTICAL preppers, and after spending all thses years camping and playing with knives of all types , have you used the serrated part in a partially serrated edge ??

I can see their benefit if the serrated balde is separate ( like in multitool or SAK ) where you can use that blade for cutting plastic or even wood (approximately like a saw) .. but seeing a 2-inch serrated part on the Gerber LMF, for example, I wonder : how and where can you utilize that ????

A lot of people claim they are useful for cutting rope. I can't remember the last time I had to cut rope.

I am prejudiced against them because I can't sharpen them.

I do have a bunch of kitchen knives that are fully serrated though.

I have used the serrated section of a knife to cut rope. It was moderately useful, but no more so than a decently sharpened conventional knife edge. More important is placing the rope under tension - that makes an enormous difference.

When I have a choice, I prefer a non-serrated edge.

I have used them, but do still prefer a non-serrated myself. Like the others, ease of sharpening.

I find serrations to be useless at best, and counter-productive at worst. That said, for EDC for someone who might have to cut rope or seat belts yet can't sharpen a knife to save their life, serrations might be useful. When new they are substandard vs a plain edge but they will still rip/tear material to some degree even when very dull.

I am not a serrated fan. Most of the reason is that the serrations on the brand(s)of knives I prefer or can afford are not made for those of us in our right mind (lefties). I guess that is the issue of single grind? My Leatherman Crunch has one and it is a pain - practically useless. That and the penchant it has for going all floppy. But, that is another issue. I don't carry it anymore. Anyway, back to the question. Serrated? Maybe as a separate knife. Most likely not.

The serrated and partially-serrated blades I own are all Spydercos, and I've found them to work quite well for certain things. I generally send them back to the manufacturer when they need sharpening, which means that I rarely carry or use them now.

A well-maintained and sharp plain edge blade does several things better and other things (like cutting thick rope or webbing) nearly as well as a serrated blade, and it's far easier to maintain.

You can't I have never used a serrated section and they always put them in the worst place, at the base, where I do fine cutting, peeling etc. I find them utterly useless and an annoyance. Despite having it stated in large capitol print on my old brochure that I do NOT use serrated edges on my knives I was still inundated with requests for them. Apparently they appeal to some demographic out there. Hope this helps.

HARD RESET - F5 - HARD RESET - F5! Any Self Respecting Rightwing Radical ETS Doomsday Survivalist Prepper need to be able to sharpen any blade he owns or comes upon. That includes Cub Scouts and Soccer Moms.

There is nothing magic to sharpening serrated edges!

1. IF they are just a bid dull, use a small stone like a fish hook stone. Use the EDGE, not one of the faces, of the stone and smooth out the curved facets on the serrated side. Now VERY LIGHTLY debur the non serrated side. You’re done.

2. IF they are really dull or burred, use the curved file in your jewelers file set. Pick the file that has about the same radius as the serrations. Reshape the curved facets on the serrated side. Now go back to step one and redo with the stone.

That's like the line cutters on some dive knives. Never had use one and didn't like the way it weakened the blade. Now I use one that is basicly a sharpened slab of steel with a point. I have had to pry with it a few times.

The serrated blade (at least my Spyderco's) can easily be sharpened on a Spyderco Triangle sharpener (along with plain edge knives).

The serrated edge is MUCH better for cutting fiberous materials continuously. The first few cuts are just about the same with a plain edge. Soon the serrated edge shows it's advantage. One of the first Spyderco Mariners cut 6 rolls of fiberglass tape into 10 inch lengths after 3 other good plain edge blades (all longer) wore down on the first two rolls. Not a stunt, we needed the tape to fair a long cable we were towing at sea. They also work well if you have to open lots of boxes with fiberous tape.

I carry a plain edge for EDC, but use the serrated edge where it is best. The addition of a section on a longer blade makes sense if you might need it a lot without the time to sharpen it (survival knife on the water, I.e. SOG SEAL).

For full disclosure, the owner of Spyderco has been a good friend since before he made his first knife. I have been using a Triangle sharpener since the first run.

Respectfully,

Jerry

Regarding serrated parts of survival knives, many popele don't like "spoiling" the most important part of the blade . I was wondering if it was wiser to put serrations on the back . But that will interfere with battoning. So, instead of serrations all the way on the back, knifemaker can leave the first inch or so ( for the user thumb ) and then 2 inch serrations, then plain back up to the tip of the knive, which is enough area for battoning.


Just wondering

Most of my knives are non-serrated for the reasons already mentioned. That said, a Spyderco rescue type knife that is kept in my truck console is fully serrated, but it's only function in my life is to cut a seat belt or two should the need arise. I've never carried it. The knives I normally carry (EDC) are all plain edge.

I won't buy a serrated blade for general use. I think a plain edge is much more generally useful. Somehow, serrated blades have become all the rage. I guess people who don't really use knives much think they look cool.

That being said, I do have a "river knife" with a partially serrated blade attached to my pfd for sea kayaking. The primary use there would be if I became entangled and had to quickly cut ropes, nets, or whatever. Highly unlikely I will ever need it, but if I do, I will need it bad! It may be that a well sharpened plain blade would do just as well in that application, but the river knife is what I have.

I used to carry a partially serrated knife for EDC. It was great for getting through that annoying plastic clamshell packaging. I hated it for everything else though! Now I carry a plain edge knife.

I do carry a fully serrated river knife on my PFD, but its sole purpose is in case I need to cut rope or other entanglements off myself or someone else.

I wouldn't consider a knife with serrations for purchase these days. I made a mistake in the past and purchased a small blade that was half serrated. Serrations are useless for 99% of what you'd normally do. Actually worse than useless - they are a hinderance. And for that 1% of the time where they might have a small bit of utility, the serrated section of the knife is too short to actually be useful. 99% of the time they just waste an area of the blade that could be very useful as a straight edge. And they hang up on things while cutting and do their best to make even the straight portion of the blade useless too. Total waste IMHO. (But good for those long flexible kitchen knifes - serrations along the full length of that long blade make slicing tomatoes heavenly!)

Yes. Numerous times. Typically with clothing, webbing, rope and occasionally as a make-shift saw.

Now, most of the time it was in a pre-hospital or military environment.

My knife for boating/swimming is a fully serrated Spyderco Atlantic Salt. In that situation, where you end up cutting a lot of heavy lines, ropes, frozen fish, ect.....serrations can prove very useful.

Otherwise, the overall majority of my blades are plain edge. For general tasks I don't find serrations to be a necessity as long as my knife is kept sharp. If anything, I sometimes find them to be a hindrance.

If there is one company that I think does partially serrated blades right, it's Victorinox. They put the plain edge towards the back and the serrations towards the front. For some reason I find that arrangement to be much more practical.

I prefer the serrations on the spine, like on this knife I have:

http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=156&brand=kershaw

I use the serrations anywhere it'll work in order to spare the main blade. As one example, those serrations work better than any scraper I have for a ferro rod. That serrated edge generates a shower of sparks with easy.

I agree with Paul's comment above.

I don't hate serrations per se, and I do use them on difficult rope, plastic, and fibrous plant materials.

What I do hate is the lousy style and placement of the serrations on most blades.

I'm quite happy to have a simple, scalloped serration toward the front of the blade, leaving at least half of the handle-side portion as a plain, fine edge. This looks odd to the inexperienced user, is resolutely untacticool, and probably puts a damper on sales.

I generally sharpen blades as if the serration wasn't there, and periodically tune them up with a round diamond file. I know this is heresy, but these are working blades; they get used up over time. And the reworked serrations often work a lot better than the originals. With some blades, I'll gradually sharpen the original serration right out, and then add new simple scallops where I want them with a chainsaw file. This works well with any of the softer steels, including Moras.

Short of cutting food,I haven't found anything else that serrated blades cut cleanly enough, to warrant actually liking them!They have their place,such as mentioned before ie., Ferro/Mischmetal rods,Seatbelts, feathering tinder,Ice,etc.

Pretty much ideal. I also quite like the serrated SAK with the serration at the front.

Or my Byrd Wings - decent plain edge, serrated there as back up if needed

I find a serrated blade a very useful work tool, for opening cartons, cutting foam pipe insulation, cutting packaging materials, and sometimes cutting rope.
Fine as a work tool, but perhaps less useful as a survival tool, for which a good plain blade is arguably a better choice.

I use a fully serrated blade for gardening, as it cuts through roots better than a plain edge. It also stays sharper for a little longer when digging in dirt. My EDC Leatherman Wave has a serrated blade which I use for cutting up cardboard boxes for targets or recycling, and for rope and light wire. For the last two years, I have been using a Bear MGC partially serrated knife for deer hunting. I'm trying to avoid having to carry a bone saw. It works OK, but I wish the serrations were on the back about an inch from the handle. I have been thinking about re-profiling the tip of the knife to remove the point for field-dressing work.

I use a serrated blade for cutting rope, vine, small branches, etc. it's not something I use every day but I like to have the option. I've adopted hubby's old Ruko fixed blade, because it's got the serrated part on the spine so it doesn't interfer with the regular blade.

I have a few SAK's that have a partial serration and they are ok as a pocket knife. The blades cut meat really well and other things, like paracord. I much rather have no serrations though.

For a fixed blade, I do not own, nor will I own a blade with serrations. Not for an outdoors knife in my opinion. I don't need to cut any ropes. Serrations are ok on some kitchen knives, as long as they stay in the kitchen.

My EDC $1 folder has a half-serrated blade. It is primarily a work knife for me and the serrations perform well on cardboard, duct tape, etc. I sharpen it daily (its a $1 knife after all) and it does yeoman's work for me.

My EDC SAK has no serrations and cuts electrical cords like butter.

The serrated part will start cut on smooth and tough things like plastic and bark much easier than plain edge, especially on knives with softer steels.

That looks like a very useful blade

I've fallen in love with it, Bryd. Very good tool! I think we paid $30 for it a number of years ago. It's holding up great. Ruko's description:

Muela Field Knife 25-12:

"Kraton Rubber Handle Field Knife with Leather Sheath, Razor Sharp 420A Stainless Steel 4-5/8" Saw Back Clip-Point Blade, Non-Slip Textured Kraton Rubber Handle with Zamak Guard and Solid Brass Lanyard Hole."

The sheath is a little loose though, so I'm on the hunt for another. I might try to make one if some time free up in the near future.

Probably illegal in California being double edged.

What penal code is that?

thanks