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)