Knife With Serrations??
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
#1. They won't slice straight when cutting meat, etc.
#2. They won't stay factory sharp forever.
#3. Once dull, they cannot be resharpened to the same degree, unless you have the serrated diamond wheel the factory used to cut them in the first place. Some claim they can, but they can't.
#4. A plain edge can be used & resharpened until there is nothing left of the blade.
#5. A plain edge can be sharpened on a flat rock if thats all you have to do it with.
With that said, I only have one folder that is not a partially serrated blade.
They are just too good for cutting some things!
rcmodel
#2. They won't stay factory sharp forever.
#3. Once dull, they cannot be resharpened to the same degree, unless you have the serrated diamond wheel the factory used to cut them in the first place. Some claim they can, but they can't.
#4. A plain edge can be used & resharpened until there is nothing left of the blade.
#5. A plain edge can be sharpened on a flat rock if thats all you have to do it with.
With that said, I only have one folder that is not a partially serrated blade.
They are just too good for cutting some things!
rcmodel
jahwarrior
Member
beware the aficiandos; they are experts only in personal opinions.
BADUNAME15
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I am hardly an expert on knives, but here is my 2 cents.
You can do anything a serrated knive can do with a sharp straight blade, you can not do everything a straight blade can do with a serrated blade.
Also, although serrated blades can be sharpend, it is a huge pain in the butt.
You can do anything a serrated knive can do with a sharp straight blade, you can not do everything a straight blade can do with a serrated blade.
Also, although serrated blades can be sharpend, it is a huge pain in the butt.
There are some things that a straight edge typically cannot do as well as serrated, such as cut rope. Serrations actually rip more than cut...
Anyway, for those who don't know as much about sharpening, or don't want to take the time to sharpen for a dedicated task, a serrated blade for certain materials does make sense.
Anyway, for those who don't know as much about sharpening, or don't want to take the time to sharpen for a dedicated task, a serrated blade for certain materials does make sense.
If you know how to proterly sharpen a knife, you can cut rope just fine. Serrations are for people who can't sharpen a knife, IMO.
Or who's seem First Blood too many times.
I have a couple of knives with serrations. They're for cutting through sheet metal.
Or who's seem First Blood too many times.
I have a couple of knives with serrations. They're for cutting through sheet metal.
22-rimfire
Member
Serrations have their place. They work great in the kitchen. Personally I don't care for partially serrated bladed knives. I would rather have the entire blade serrated or not at all. I have several folders that have fully serrated blades that I use to cut fabric, rope, and similar things. They work great for that purpose.
mnw42
Member
If I recall... F&S/OSS/Commando knives had strait, sharp, slightly curved edges so that they would make a nice clean cut and prevent effective clotting of a wound. A serrated , jagged, etc. knife tends to make a decidedly less neat wound; giving a nice place for the clots to grab onto and form.
oldschool
Member
Serrations
I can sharpen a knife and all of my recent and my next EDC will be partially serrated. Why? Prove to me or give me reason to believe that a straight edge will repeatedly cut Cat5E or Cat6 data cable, sometimes as many as 100 cuts a day, without becoming unusable and I’ll change my mind. BTW my next soon to purchase EDC will have a S30V blade.
mnw42, if I survive the encounter that requires me to use my serrated knife I won’t care about the recovery, or lack there of, of the person whose body I confirmed the edge on
I can sharpen a knife and all of my recent and my next EDC will be partially serrated. Why? Prove to me or give me reason to believe that a straight edge will repeatedly cut Cat5E or Cat6 data cable, sometimes as many as 100 cuts a day, without becoming unusable and I’ll change my mind. BTW my next soon to purchase EDC will have a S30V blade.
mnw42, if I survive the encounter that requires me to use my serrated knife I won’t care about the recovery, or lack there of, of the person whose body I confirmed the edge on
That's not actually an accurate premise. Folks who are heavy into knives see serrations as having their place. They cut rope and fibrous materials very very well. They just don't make nice even edged cuts. Now that's not much of a problem when you're cutting a steak, or some other piece of meat, but when you're cutting non-rope and non-meat materials a smooth more "finished" edge is often desired. Also, serrations are a more recent invention and haven't been as widely accepted into the stodgy world of knife making.
Sorry, no. Clotting occurs on a much smaller scale. A nice clean cut with a razor sharp edge may barely bleed while one with a serrated edge bleeds readily (personal experience on both). Wound edges that match up well bleed less, knit quicker and leave smaller scars. Serrated edge wounds do none of those things.
earplug
Member
When i'm in my canoe, my PFD has A Gerber with serrations, its the fast way to cut rope or fishing line that may be A problem if I roll.
My other knives have nice sharp strigiht blades to look nice and clean fish without looking funny.
My other knives have nice sharp strigiht blades to look nice and clean fish without looking funny.
this is all you then, as much as i hate (recommending) spyderco...
http://spyderco.com/catalog/list.php?blade=CPM-S30V&per_page=12
jahwarrior
Member
for SD/utility purposes, serrations are the equivalent of having a chainsaw: it won't be pretty when you're done, but you will be done rather quickly.
Dave Markowitz
Member
I prefer using a pair of dykes for CAT5, myself.
oldschool
Member
Dave, I don't primarily do cabling and I'd prefer not to carry a pair of dykes a crimping tool will cut cable but not as fast and it will not do 5 or more wires at a time. Besides I can strip the insulation for the punchdown or crimp without changing tools or carrying more weight. My EDC gets carried with my BHP or Kimber because if I were suprised or in a highly populated environment I can deploy it more quickly and precisely than a pistol. Not a great situation but beats getting being shot while drawing.
SaMx
Member
I don't like serrations that much because they're a pain to sharpen. Plus if you sharpen a plain edge on a coarse or extra coarse stone, you have "micro-serrations" that cut rope etc. pretty well.
oldschool
Member
SaMx- to paraphrase Bill Nye "1 experiment is worth 1000 expert opinions", I just "tested" 20' of Cat5e curring with only the straight portion on my Blur with no problems and still reasonably sharp. Was it as fast as the serrated portion? A qualified no! Because the straight part of the blade I used didn't give me the best leverage. I think I am going back to a straight blade.
loose cannon
Member
i use a serrated myerchin sailing knife on my sloop its good for if one of the many ropes on my boat need cutting in a hurry.
hso is right about serrateds making a nastier wound! i have a scar on my thigh from a mishap with a serrated that will never go away it was done a year ago this month.had quite a time stopping the bleeding too,,,
on the other hand ive never got a scar from a plain-edge cut.
hso is right about serrateds making a nastier wound! i have a scar on my thigh from a mishap with a serrated that will never go away it was done a year ago this month.had quite a time stopping the bleeding too,,,
on the other hand ive never got a scar from a plain-edge cut.
As I was 'growin up', I always heard that serrated blades weren't good for SD applications because the serrations could catch & snag on clothing. Never been in a real knife fight, so I don't know if this is true or not.
Having said this, I carry a Spydie Civilian as my SD knife. Serrations on a knife also increase the cutting surface area by 40%.
Having said this, I carry a Spydie Civilian as my SD knife. Serrations on a knife also increase the cutting surface area by 40%.
MCgunner
Member
Not a knife person, just a hunter, but I like the partially serrated edge for field dressing game, cuts the sternum and ligaments better, easier. I don't like full length serrated edges except maybe on cheap utility knives used to cut rope and such. They're great for that! My partially serrated Gerber has a good, long curved forward plain section for skinning and general butchering and the serrations are there for joints, ligaments, and such. Don't really need it once the deer is gutted and hangin' at the house, have a bone saw, but it's neat to tote in the field, versatile.
I have much more effective weapons, stand off weapons, for self defense. Frankly, I'd much rather be in a gun fight than a knife fight. I'm a well above average shot and never was in a knife fight or class. Knives scare me. Besides, gramps always told me never to take one to a gunfight.
I have much more effective weapons, stand off weapons, for self defense. Frankly, I'd much rather be in a gun fight than a knife fight. I'm a well above average shot and never was in a knife fight or class. Knives scare me. Besides, gramps always told me never to take one to a gunfight.
Serrated edges are a good for sawing stuff otherwise I guess I would rather cut it. I have not owned one on a good knife just Chinese stuff someone gave me for Christmas or whatnot.
For butchering I use a 5 or 6 inch straight bladed Forchner boning knife and a 10 inch Forchner Butcher knife. I do 90% or more of butchering with those two knives. Skinning I have a old professional quality skinning knife I found at a yard sale for $2, Doubt I would sell it for 20 times that. All I have used in the field for almost 30 years is a Buck 110, cept once or twice I tried something else but find those good old folders are all I need for elk or deer and can carry em in my front pocket. They will split any mulie I ever shot's brisket pretty easy and I have split several elks brisket's with it, That is kinda dangerous and hard to almost impossible on a older animal. I do prefer a small hand ax or saw for that chore. Steel's on that old 110 is good enough I could still shave the hair off my arm after splitting two younger elks briskets one day a few years back. Thats good enough for me.
I have a buncha miscellaneous stuff I cut joints, tight places skinning and whatnot with.
You'd be surprised at the Forcheners or Henckelss, and other good or professional quality knives folks will sell at a yard sale for pennies. You can find em in a box along side Chinese junk at he same price. Bought a Buck 120 last summer for $5, older one when they still used better steel. One of my favorite Forchner knive's is a 10" I bought for 89 cents that was selling at the local mall for $89. It did have a small chip in the blade where it had been mistreated but some work on the stones and it is 1/8" narrower but as good as new for my use. Been cutting animals up with it 20 years, I'll never wear it out.
I am in a way a knife nut I have a few dozen, but i guess you can tell a cheap a$$ one.
Oh I got carried away,this was about serrated blades huh?
For butchering I use a 5 or 6 inch straight bladed Forchner boning knife and a 10 inch Forchner Butcher knife. I do 90% or more of butchering with those two knives. Skinning I have a old professional quality skinning knife I found at a yard sale for $2, Doubt I would sell it for 20 times that. All I have used in the field for almost 30 years is a Buck 110, cept once or twice I tried something else but find those good old folders are all I need for elk or deer and can carry em in my front pocket. They will split any mulie I ever shot's brisket pretty easy and I have split several elks brisket's with it, That is kinda dangerous and hard to almost impossible on a older animal. I do prefer a small hand ax or saw for that chore. Steel's on that old 110 is good enough I could still shave the hair off my arm after splitting two younger elks briskets one day a few years back. Thats good enough for me.
I have a buncha miscellaneous stuff I cut joints, tight places skinning and whatnot with.
You'd be surprised at the Forcheners or Henckelss, and other good or professional quality knives folks will sell at a yard sale for pennies. You can find em in a box along side Chinese junk at he same price. Bought a Buck 120 last summer for $5, older one when they still used better steel. One of my favorite Forchner knive's is a 10" I bought for 89 cents that was selling at the local mall for $89. It did have a small chip in the blade where it had been mistreated but some work on the stones and it is 1/8" narrower but as good as new for my use. Been cutting animals up with it 20 years, I'll never wear it out.
I am in a way a knife nut I have a few dozen, but i guess you can tell a cheap a$$ one.
Oh I got carried away,this was about serrated blades huh?
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