Sell me on a serrated edge

[scottish steve]

Hi all
At home I have a few nice, if affordable knives for camping and even bushcraft if I ever feel adventurous- Mora Clipper 840, Mora 2,000 (which is just amazing), Mora HRC62 woodcarver, Martiini 4.5 " skinner and a few folders incl 3 from the indespensible Victorinox range. One thing i don't have though, is a serrated edge. Over here I have a Victorinox Soldier ('08 model) and I also bought a Sportsman on a whim for light duties. But the other night i was very taken with a CRKT Thunderbolt 2. Having found out the blade has a 59 HRC rating, I now am quite taken with the idea, but have always thought of serrated edged knives as rather inelegant- certainly its shouldn't be the only knife you take out of the city. But I like the heft, it's got a very re-assuring handle and doesn't flex when you put pressure reasonable on it. Your thoughts on this combi-edge folder?

http://www.crkt.com/Thunderbolt2

[miamimoe]

You are correct, in that it is not the only knife to take out of the city. What is nice about serrated edge is its ability to serve as a rescue knife by cutting seat belts, rope, saw off small branches for fire building, etc. At the price it seems like a nice little addition to your collection.

[aceinyerface]

I wouldn't get a serrated edge. They are too difficult to sharpen.

I don't care for the "tanto" models. The kissaki of 99% of actual tantos are not shaped like that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tantō

I get more use from a knife with some belly to it.

[scottish steve]

I personally have no problem with a belly-less edge. Though it does feel satisfying to dig into the cut, I don't know if it actually gives much advantage and I find I tend to hurry the cut with one as I move away from the sweet spot. I do like lambsfoot blades a lot, as the ultrasharp right angle tip comes in very useful at times, allowing easy access to a 3D object, so the rest of the edge can control the slice. If they had a non-serrated version of the Thunderbolt, the tip would be quite appealing to me, whatever the shape should be called. Rope/ Seatbelt cutting is one very good reason to have a strong serrated edge in the car and the Victorinox Rescue tool is a well-thought out example. I like the idea that with a serrated, I'm not going to spend too much time wondering if it needs a touch-up. As an alternative, I've got the choice of an Opinel 3.5", with sandvik steel blade (HRC 57 and a great alloy- very resilient and not brittle, while keeping a very sharp edge) but it seemed a bit wimpy compared to the CRKT. Anyone any experience of a tool to sharpen a serrated edge?

[aceinyerface]

Anyone any experience of a tool to sharpen a serrated edge?

Yep, there are sharpening rods from different makers, I think mine is a "Smith's". Obviously, I don't think very highly of it.

[mgiah]

One of the little Smiths hand sharpeners with 2 grooves and a slim rod (like $5) will get the job done for the serrations. I've had good results using it. The blades will pass a paper test after sharpening which is my standard for a knife blade. IMHO, serrations aren't that useful. If you're knife is sharp, they're not necessary.

[Pinedale]

I went through a serration phase. I'm over it now. Too complicated for what I want in a knife.

[OldSchoolYoungin]

I've never found anything that a serrated edge can do that a properly honed non-serrated can't do. To me, they're just bothersome. I'm not cutting down trees with the thing so I don't need a saw. I've never really run into a material that a serrated edge cut better than a straight one.

[Alacrity59]

I've never found anything that a serrated ego can do that a properly honed non-serrated can't do. To me, they're just bothersome. I'm not cutting down trees with the thing so I don't need a saw. I've never really run into a material that a serrated edge cut better than a straight one.

This pretty much wraps up my feeling on the issue as well.

[Balcmeg]

Bought one S&W Homeland Security (I think, its away for sharpening now) on sale with serrated edge. If it wasn´t on real good sale I would have gotten angry at myself for the waste. Pretty stable handle though. I definitely stay away from serrated edges in the future, this one might be good for keeping in the car though - if I buy one ;)

[scottish steve]

Hhhm, no love for serrations then eh?
I took another look at it today and it was speaking to me. If only they had the straight edged version!

[aceinyerface]

http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-River...0894484&sr=8-1

Not trying to break any rules, but here is a link to Amazon to get either one you want.

$20.95 for plain or $22.95 for comboedge with free shipping is pretty dog gone reasonable! You could order one of each and still come out under $50.

[scottish steve]

Thanks man. I imagine everyone will be very surprised to hear the UK RRP is 34 British Pounds, about $50 and 499 RMb in Suzhou, or about $75!
A lot of Western/Japanese things are more expensive here, due to the cache of higher quality and low demand. But considering its $2.20 for a good packet of Japanese-made cigarettes ($0.30 for the cheapest ones which no Westerner will touch, but $1 for a decent brand), $5 for a bottle of brandy smooth enough to actively enjoy without a mixer and $0.30 for a bus journey of up to 1.5 hrs, its a very fair trade-off. Oh and you can also get a good meal in a nice canteen for $3 if you're on your own, or a good restaurant if you share with a couple of people.
I reckon I save at least $60 a month on smoking costs alone. And my electric scooter is $1.50 a month for unlimited recharging at my home, free at work.

[Balcmeg]

+1 on the low prices on food!! We often take the bus from Hong Kong To Shenzhen bay border (30 mins) For a nice dinner - especially if we are many. Especially many good Sichuan restaurants, as well as Japanese there! Stumboed on japanese buffet for small cost (dont rememebr now) where even unlimited Asahi beer and Sake was included! Sake was of decent quality..

Thanks man. I imagine everyone will be very surprised to hear the UK RRP is 34 British Pounds, about $50 and 499 RMb in Suzhou, or about $75!
A lot of Western/Japanese things are more expensive here, due to the cache of higher quality and low demand. But considering its $2.20 for a good packet of Japanese-made cigarettes ($0.30 for the cheapest ones which no Westerner will touch, but $1 for a decent brand), $5 for a bottle of brandy smooth enough to actively enjoy without a mixer and $0.30 for a bus journey of up to 1.5 hrs, its a very fair trade-off. Oh and you can also get a good meal in a nice canteen for $3 if you're on your own, or a good restaurant if you share with a couple of people.
I reckon I save at least $60 a month on smoking costs alone. And my electric scooter is $1.50 a month for unlimited recharging at my home, free at work.

[Godan]

http://www.amazon.com/Columbia-River...0894484&sr=8-1

Not trying to break any rules, but here is a link to Amazon to get either one you want.

$20.95 for plain or $22.95 for comboedge with free shipping is pretty dog gone reasonable! You could order one of each and still come out under $50.

The last season I volunteered as a federal ski ranger, my patrol partner used one of these and loved it. The "open" construction is great in the snow and ice, since all the crud falls out and does not jam the knife. Also, the double lock is reassuring when working with very cold hands. This is the best cold weather folder I have seen.

[beau5278]

I have a couple knives with partial serated edges and I really don't see much use for them,I even have the rods to sharpen them.I guess if your cutting heavy rope it would work better and I guess they could be used to cut small branches easier than a straight edge but I usually have a saw or a multi tool with a saw on it handy for that.If you really like the knife,that's reason enough to own it!

[mlrevinit]

Boker usually has some brands (Boker Plus, Magnum) that make solid inexpensive pocket knives. I carry a Magnum lockback nonseratedas my everyday tool. But I also have this Boker Plus I carry when I need something a tad bigger and yes It does help to have serations when you are encountering rope (I boat quite a bit).

[OLDMAN]

All I purchase now is serrated combo blade knives for the reasons stated.

[Doc4]

Thanks man. I imagine everyone will be very surprised to hear the UK RRP is 34 British Pounds, about $50 and 499 RMb in Suzhou, or about $75!
A lot of Western/Japanese things are more expensive here, due to the cache of higher quality and low demand. But considering its $2.20 for a good packet of Japanese-made cigarettes ($0.30 for the cheapest ones which no Westerner will touch, but $1 for a decent brand), $5 for a bottle of brandy smooth enough to actively enjoy without a mixer and $0.30 for a bus journey of up to 1.5 hrs, its a very fair trade-off. Oh and you can also get a good meal in a nice canteen for $3 if you're on your own, or a good restaurant if you share with a couple of people.
I reckon I save at least $60 a month on smoking costs alone. And my electric scooter is $1.50 a month for unlimited recharging at my home, free at work.

Combine that with being able to work for the best employer on earth, and you are in heaven!!