serrations
- Thread starter DISCO
- Start date
Good for cutting tomatoes, but not for me on a bushcraft knife.
Suppose they're useful for cutting seat belts that sort of thing.
That said, I use the serrated edge on my Leatherman Wave a fair bit, so it might be best to ignore my views altogether.
Suppose they're useful for cutting seat belts that sort of thing.
That said, I use the serrated edge on my Leatherman Wave a fair bit, so it might be best to ignore my views altogether.
andyn
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I use the serrated knife on my Leatherman Juice a fair bit, but only really for cutting rope.
Think they have a pretty limited use for wilderness use in my opinion.
Think they have a pretty limited use for wilderness use in my opinion.
This is a pretty thorough discussion of the subject
http://knifeart.com/plainbyjoeta.html
I had a serrated Cold Steel Voyager folding knife and it was very good at sawing through fibreous materials, and it didn't blunt fast. But, it was a huge pain to sharpen and was useless for sharpening pencils, or anything that required a clean push cut.
I also bought my dad a Cold Steel kitchen knife. Not impressed. Difficult to sharpen effectively and no where near as sharp a slicer as plain edged knives sharpened on a slightly coar.se stone.
Serrations are popular on "utility" knives, military knives and knives that will be used around rigging. They cut rope fast, but these applications are not really at the top of the list of bushcraft.
http://knifeart.com/plainbyjoeta.html
I had a serrated Cold Steel Voyager folding knife and it was very good at sawing through fibreous materials, and it didn't blunt fast. But, it was a huge pain to sharpen and was useless for sharpening pencils, or anything that required a clean push cut.
I also bought my dad a Cold Steel kitchen knife. Not impressed. Difficult to sharpen effectively and no where near as sharp a slicer as plain edged knives sharpened on a slightly coar.se stone.
Serrations are popular on "utility" knives, military knives and knives that will be used around rigging. They cut rope fast, but these applications are not really at the top of the list of bushcraft.
As a general rule I'll avoid anything but a kitchen knife with serrations. Most that I have come across are far to agressively ground to be of much practical use anyway, tending to "grab" at even fibrous materials rather than to cut. I can sharpen serrations pretty well, but they really are a pain the rear to do, taking as much as 10 times longer than a plain edge.
The one serrated blade that I have and like is that on my Original SwissTool. Rather than the overly agressive, jagged tooth type serrations this has more of a scalloped edge which I find is very good for cutting heavier ropes and the like as well as that horribly tough plastic banding around packing cases. It's also easier to resharpen than the deep, narrow type serrations, as a tapered circular DMT Diafold fits it a treat.
For general everyday useage and for bushcraft type tasks I don't think there will ever be anything to match the pure simple efficiency of a truly sharp plain edge.
The one serrated blade that I have and like is that on my Original SwissTool. Rather than the overly agressive, jagged tooth type serrations this has more of a scalloped edge which I find is very good for cutting heavier ropes and the like as well as that horribly tough plastic banding around packing cases. It's also easier to resharpen than the deep, narrow type serrations, as a tapered circular DMT Diafold fits it a treat.
For general everyday useage and for bushcraft type tasks I don't think there will ever be anything to match the pure simple efficiency of a truly sharp plain edge.
Serrations have their uses, not for my skinning knife but I wear a knife with serrations as my canoe knife on my belt for immediate use. tip the canoe in some places where the weeds are prolific and you could get tangled easy serrations are invaluable. Use them in the context they were originaly designed for, I never go out without several styles of blades on me to meet most situation, saved a wedding reception just by having a corkscrew on my SAK when no one else had. CG :yo:
This is what I do with serrations 
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13508&page=1&pp=15
http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13508&page=1&pp=15
for some applications i like serrations, on the knives I make or modify for myself I use different size chainsaw files to make them and they work great.
When I was after a multi tool I decided that it must have a serrated blade. I hate part serrated blades though
Serrations definitely have a place, you will find that on tough sinew and when cutting rope serrations are a godsend.
When I say serrations I mean scalloping of an edge not huge great teeth which are a hindrance to just about everything.
When I say serrations I mean scalloping of an edge not huge great teeth which are a hindrance to just about everything.
A good sharp knife cut anything, even tomatos. I think a serated edge is good for cutting a belt or a rope. But I still don't understand an edge that has a half serration So just like Mojofilter I file serrated edge on my OHT:
Normaly look like this, and wonder why the serrated on the front and not on the back side
Bye bye serrated
So just like Mojofilter I file serrated edge on my OHT:Normaly look like this, and wonder why the serrated on the front and not on the back side
Bye bye serrated
I have always thought that serrations on a knife made it look overly aggressive, but having recently invested in a Spyderco Sharpmaker (and read the information on their website), I can see that there is a reason behind them. The curve offers the ability to create a longer cutting edge than the length of the blade - if it is sharpened in a series of curves, the edge will be longer. Also, the points created by the serration help to protect the concave cutting edges meaning that the blade will stay sharper for longer. The points assist in piercing the material being cut and the curved edge perpetuates the cut until the motion is stopped by the "cutee".
Even though I now understand the reasons, I still do not like to see a knife with serrations, and cannot understand why a blade would need to have both plain and serrated portions along the same edge. I can see that there is a need for "Rescuse" situations, where seat belts etc need to be cut, but for the general public, there is little need for such aggressive looking tools.
ATB
Ogri the trog
Even though I now understand the reasons, I still do not like to see a knife with serrations, and cannot understand why a blade would need to have both plain and serrated portions along the same edge. I can see that there is a need for "Rescuse" situations, where seat belts etc need to be cut, but for the general public, there is little need for such aggressive looking tools.
ATB
Ogri the trog
