Serrated edges?

Gareth · **on:** February 16, 2012, 12:07:48 AM

OK folks I've got a question or two for all you fans of serrated edged blade. Firstly; who actually uses one on a regular basis? Also just what are you using them on?

Now I don't ask this to be sarcastic, I'm genuinely curious. After-all, serrated and part serrated blades seem to be part and parcel of the MT world but I've just never found myself needing to have one, let alone regularly.

Beerplumber · **Reply #1 on:** February 16, 2012, 02:18:05 AM

I use one daily Gareth. Corrugated cardboard and a kind of foam rubber insulate on our beer lines. I don't used to be a fan. I discovered the benefits of SE and CE working on a drilling rig and I was forever opening burlap sacks of sawdust. The combo edge blade would pierce and with a fast swipe the serrated portion would rip through smoothly. A plain edge will bind in the thick material. Ever pull somebody out of a snowbank and want to cut the rope off your hitch afterward? You can hack at a frozen knot all night but a plain edge will saw right through. I often wonder how one can get along with just a plain edge.

Stay multi my friends

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #2 on:** February 16, 2012, 02:42:01 AM

Beerplumber has basically covered it. When dealing with abundant fibrous material (burlap, hemp rope, cardboard, woody plants, etc) a serrated edge will rip through much more easily than a plain edge.

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #3 on:** February 16, 2012, 03:14:11 AM

I have had both CRKT Neckolas models and I far prefer the serrated blade- but then I really only use it for kayaking.

For most jobs I prefer a plain edge as I find most serrated blades catch on things too much.

Def

THE_LONGBOW · **Reply #4 on:** February 16, 2012, 07:04:58 AM

Funny this came question up. Sunday night I BBQ some steak for the family and while cutting it with a good quality serrated steak knife that I had just sharpened on my SharpMaker, I was struggling with the cuts. So I pulled out my Buck Vantage Avid (13C26 Sanvic) non serrated and wow it sliced through the steak with ease. It was also recently sharpened on my SharpMaker. So I think I will find some steak knives that are not serrated.
While working on commercial fishing boats in Alaska I did cut a lot of line (rope). I used a serrated fixed blade Victorinox it worked well for the tasks. We did have some plain edged knives also that we mainly used for fish processing but did not use for cutting line as the serrated seam to work better. I did keep a "new" Victorinox attached to my rain gear for an emergency, such as being tangled in line and pulled overboard.
This was years ago before I knew much about knives so your slicing may vary.

stressmaster5000 · **Reply #5 on:** February 16, 2012, 07:54:32 AM

OK, so I may not carry and use a serrated blade every day but I have found some good use for them. I was under the house last year doing some emergency plumbing with flexible but hard plastic lines about 20mm's thick. I had my Vic SwissTool with me and at first I tried the plain edge blade. It worked OK but it was not easy to slice through it. I flipped out the serrated blade on the same SwissTool and Wow! it cut through like butter. Since I had so much to do and many cuts to make I switched out for a 111mm knife with serrated blade for the rest of the work.

Zed · **Reply #6 on:** February 16, 2012, 09:30:52 AM

I prefer a half and half blade, although i dont use the serrations much i like to have them in case,although i do prefer a seperate serated blade for the longer stroke as some are too short to be much use, i like to have all types of saws on a MT when possible, i was going to order the half serrated blade for my pt and remove the full serrated one but decided to stick to a full blade and full serrated, but on a larger knife i dont mind

thew got there in the end

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #7 on:** February 16, 2012, 10:06:41 AM

I can appreciate the benefits of serrations in certain scenarios, but it's very rare I need them. Combo edged blades never seem to have serrations in the right place either. The main things I'll use a blade for are scoring things open so a PE tip works best, or sharpening a pencil so PE near the pivot is best.

If I was wanting serrations, I'd probably want them central on the blade on task thats used the full cutting length but not just one end of the blade. This is why I try to carry a PE blade for most jobs, then a second blade with serrations if I feel I might need them

Zed · **Reply #8 on:** February 16, 2012, 10:21:48 AM

Quote from: 50ft-trad on February 16, 2012, 10:06:41 AM

I can appreciate the benefits of serrations in certain scenarios, but it's very rare I need them. Combo edged blades never seem to have serrations in the right place either. The main things I'll use a blade for are scoring things open so a PE tip works best, or sharpening a pencil so PE near the pivot is best.

If I was wanting serrations, I'd probably want them central on the blade on task thats used the full cutting length but not just one end of the blade. This is why I try to carry a PE blade for most jobs, then a second blade with serrations if I feel I might need them

I was like this when i got the new soldier

as at the front, but actually its a good place, although would make this a hard blade to use for skinning type jobs, not that i do this

but you never know

dks · **Reply #9 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:43:47 PM

Every day I use my table knives!

Serrated edges on enamel last longer.
Good thing of course sice they would be a pain to sharpen...

Some people I know prefer serrated blades for hard cured meat.
Butchers of course, that cut a lot of such meat, use plain edged knives.
Also for crusty bread; the serrations dig through the crust easily.

Beerplumber · **Reply #10 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:48:09 PM

I want to say serrated edges stay sharper longer anyways since there are multiple edges sharing the cutting. Also even when dull a serrated can still 'saw' through material. Thanks DKS now I'm hungry for steak and crusty bread! :p

Stay multi my friends

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #11 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:51:31 PM

Oddly enough, used the Spirit's peanut butter blade for the first time today. Actually left the house without a slippie this morning, but quite glad I had serrations anyway. Received a large pallet of forgings at work earlier that was heavily wrapped in clingfilm. Spirit blade went through it like it wasn't there.

Normally I'd have my modified Wave handy, but that's at home in need of a serious clean up

dks · **Reply #12 on:** February 16, 2012, 04:58:05 PM

...adding to Beerplumbers post, when cutting on a plate the teeth touch the plate but the actual edge between them does not since it is higher up, thus it does not get dulled by the harder enamel.

Gareth · **Reply #13 on:** February 16, 2012, 06:56:24 PM

cheers for all the replies chaps. I can see where some of these situations would certainly be more easily done with a serrated blade, the plastic lines and heavy rope especially. However I was cutting up some seriously heavy duty cardboard this morning and decided to try both the PE and SE blade on my Supertool 200 and, quite honestly, the sharp PE blade was less work.

Long and short of it is that they're not something that I have any particular need for on a regular basis I guess.

Gareth · **Reply #14 on:** February 16, 2012, 07:01:54 PM

being British I've decide to add a poll.

dks · **Reply #15 on:** February 16, 2012, 07:06:47 PM

well, I said 4 as it was multitool specific and I do not cut my porkchop with a multitool...
I am too classy for that!

Heinz Doofenshmirtz · **Reply #16 on:** February 16, 2012, 07:46:34 PM

I'm with 50ft on this one... they have their uses, but I don't need one all that often.

That said, I did buy myself a Byrd Wings last fall, and it's a great knife for the money. I keep it on the waist belt of my hiking pack as a general hiking/camping utility knife. I like having the serrated blade for the rare occasion I might need to cut something like rope or straps. And for hiking and camping, I find having a good beater/utility blade to be highly useful. I pair it up with my WorkChamp which gets used for other types of stuff around camp, and eating, etc. Of course I'd never use my WC for stuff I use my Wings for, and vice versa.

The absolute worst though, are combo edges. I despise them. Unless you've got a really big blade, like on the Kabar tantos, CE blades never give you enough of either type of edge to be genuinely useful IMO.

Carlos · **Reply #17 on:** February 16, 2012, 11:34:06 PM

Kitchen chefs know it all, serrated blades are good when the shell is harder than the inside: bread, tomato, melon and water melon, croissant

, some cakes, pineapple, you name it.

For general materials I find the plain edge more appropriate.

badwolf · **Reply #18 on:** February 17, 2012, 12:20:20 AM

I'd have to go with a combo edge if the tool only had one blade, ideally a Vic combo like the Spirit and OH Tracker with the serrations towards the tip but if it was a non folding fixed blade knife I'd go with a plain edge.

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