# To serrate or to not serrate?



## funkymonkey1111 (Jan 24, 2010)

looking to pick up an edc-type knife, and am wondering what folks prefer, and why (partially serrated, non serrated, fully serrated). it seems that the partially serrated knife offers the best of both worlds, but i've seen some criticisms about this setup before.


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## NonSenCe (Jan 24, 2010)

i prefer plain edge. 

if its sharp it will cut thru. 

only if i know i would have to cut thick rope (or similar) many times a day i might consider carrying a serrated edge. so far i havent needed one.


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## Linger (Jan 24, 2010)

unless you expect you're going to require the full length smooth cutting surface, why not go partially serrated? (or back serrated is best)
If you routinely use and sharpen the straight section, the serrated area preserves the factory edge for WTSHTF type stuff.


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## powernoodle (Jan 24, 2010)

*I prefer fully serrated for EDC. Just seems to cut through everything from clamshell packages to twist ties to cardboard with ease. Plain edge is also good. But a combo? Nah.

*


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## photonwave (Jan 24, 2010)

I like serrated for cutting cooked meat, and for sawing things like ropes, small branches.

Smooth edge for anything else. This includes combat.

Won't consider dual-setups.


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## Oddjob (Jan 24, 2010)

I think it entirely depends on what you use your knife for. For me a plain edge does everything I need and I can maintain it a little easier. If needed I'd use a fully serrated blade but I have found with the combo edge neither the straight portion nor serrated portion were long enough for my preference so I'd use one or the other...but that's just me. I'm sure some here will tell you the exact opposite:shrug:


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## FRANKVZ (Jan 24, 2010)

I EDC a partially serrated which works best for me. Depends on your usage as I may have to cut through several cable ties and the serrated edge is great for that, but I still have a section of plain edge blade when needed.


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## photonwave (Jan 24, 2010)

All depends on the usage. Serrated for anything best cut through with a sawing motion (cooked meat, ropes) and straight for that best cut with a single slice. 

That being said, the only serrated knives I have in my house are steak knives. Exacto knives, katana, even replica swords, all straight-edged. Even my hunting bolts for my crossbow (though I have been tempted to custom-serrate one just for fun.)


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## Hooked on Fenix (Jan 25, 2010)

To be honest, I edc all three types at once. I carry a Leatherman Surge or Core on my belt (both have a serrated knife and a straight blade). In my back pockets, I have a Victorinox One Handed Trekker (half and half blade), and a Spyderco Native III (straight blade).


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## kaichu dento (Jan 25, 2010)

FRANKVZ said:


> I EDC a partially serrated which works best for me. Depends on your usage as I may have to cut through several cable ties and the serrated edge is great for that, but I still have a section of plain edge blade when needed.





photonwave said:


> All depends on the usage. Serrated for anything best cut through with a sawing motion (cooked meat, ropes) and straight for that best cut with a single slice.


I have a strong preference for straight although I do carry a combo edged Benchmade 770, I seldom use the serrated section, and when I do it's the Leatherman Wave that gets called up. 

The most applicable statement addressing your query is summed up in Photonwave and Frankvz's posts. It all boils down to your own set of demands and the job at hand.


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## CaseyS (Jan 25, 2010)

Plain edge only because I've never mastered the art of sharpening serrations.


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## brucec (Jan 25, 2010)

photonwave said:


> Serrated for anything best cut through with a sawing motion (cooked meat, ropes) and straight for that best cut with a single slice.



If you have to saw your way through a steak, you've cooked it too long. :laughing:

Back to the OP, I like plain edge. Serrated edges get gunked up and sticky pretty quickly when used on packing tape. Serrated edges are also not very good at fruit. I have a Spyderco with a 4" combo edge that I used for a number of years. In my experience, the 2" of serrations at the base of the blade are not really useful for anything camping-wise. Except maybe cutting thick rope, but the short length of serrations doesn't really give you much advantage over a plain edge. I think the Spyderco serrations are actually worse at cutting thin ropes because the rope tends to snag.


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## kaichu dento (Jan 25, 2010)

brucec said:


> Serrated edges get gunked up and sticky pretty quickly when used on packing tape. Serrated edges are also not very good at fruit.


Tape gunk is a bummer to have on your blade and I've had problems with it on my straight blades too, but one way to minimize the amount that gets on your blade is to cut so that your blade is pushing into the tape as opposed to pulling out on it. 

Definitely agree on the fruit too - got to be a straight blade!


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## photonwave (Jan 26, 2010)

brucec said:


> If you have to saw your way through a steak, you've cooked it too long. :laughing:



Aw, man. I like my beef ribs with a crunchy outside. And you NEED a serrated edge to cut through a rack of those.


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## photonwave (Jan 26, 2010)

kaichu dento said:


> Tape gunk is a bummer to have on your blade and I've had problems with it on my straight blades too, but one way to minimize the amount that gets on your blade is to cut so that your blade is pushing into the tape as opposed to pulling out on it.
> 
> Definitely agree on the fruit too - got to be a straight blade!



A little silicone lubricant greatly helps with stuff sticking to the blade, and also ease of cutting.

Good ol' chouji oil (clove oil) does the trick as well, if it's pure.


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## fyrstormer (Jan 26, 2010)

Depends on what you're cutting on a regular basis. In my experience, a fully-serrated knife is only good for cutting food. For light use, get a small smooth-edged ceramic knife like one of these by Boker:

http://www.boker.de/us/index.php?c=37,1,16&a=110088&p=&pp=0
http://www.boker.de/us/index.php?c=37,1,16&a=112030&p=&pp=0
http://www.boker.de/us/index.php?c=37,1,16&a=112040&p=&pp=0

They are expensive, but you'll never need to sharpen them, which means you won't need to futz with a portable sharpening stone or diamond file -- though the credit-card-sized diamond files do look pretty handy, it's still one more thing to have to carry. The ceramic blade will hold an extremely sharp edge for a very long time, pretty much eliminating the need for a serrated portion.

Back-serrated knives supposedly offer the best of both worlds, but in reality you need a much longer blade for a combo edge to be practical. If size is no issue, then maybe that doesn't matter for you. In my experience, though, I stopped using combo-edged knives because I prefer smaller knives for EDC and also because I kept stabbing the side of my thumb on the serrations -- the points are usually so sharp that they'll go right through skin even if your finger doesn't slide at all. Few places on your hand are more painful to cut than the side of your thumb closeest to your index finger, because the skin there gets stretched every time you grab something.


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## jamesmtl514 (Jan 26, 2010)

My 2009 Victorinox Soldier is fully serrated and it's fantastic at cutting hamburger buns in halves for the BBQ. Also really good for meat.

I like my spyderco combo as my EDC because it lets me open the mail easily and also will be good for cutting ropes in a WTSHTF scenario.


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## kaichu dento (Jan 26, 2010)

photonwave said:


> A little silicone lubricant greatly helps with stuff sticking to the blade, and also ease of cutting.
> 
> Good ol' chouji oil (clove oil) does the trick as well, if it's pure.


I've always used WD-40 to clean off any gunk but have a preference for not getting any on the blade in the first place, and it can be minimized or even eliminated, by doing a press-cut against the non-sticky side of the tape, as opposed to pulling back against the sticky side. 


fyrstormer said:


> Back-serrated knives supposedly offer the best of both worlds, but in reality you need a much longer blade for a combo edge to be practical.


This was even more true of the first ones which tended to allocate the blade length in a half & half configuration. Many newer knives have more of a 60/40 or even 70/30 split, which I like much better, and my 770 falls into this category. I must say that I'm surprised to even find myself carrying a combo edge after determining about 10 years ago that I never would again.


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## Radiophile (Jan 27, 2010)

My EDC is partially serrated and to be honest I can't remember the last time I used the the serrations. I prefer a plain edge because it's easier to use and easier to sharpen. It's also predictable. I don't care for the way serrations cut in a jerky manner. If I could find the model of knife I carry with a plain edge I would buy it in a minute, but it's out of production.

Regarding steak knives - I prefer a plain edge on them, and I keep them very sharp. If you ever use a sharp plain edge steak knife, you'll never use a serrated knife again.

The only serrated knives I like are for slicing bread and tomatoes, and I often use just a plain edge for tomatoes.


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## souptree (Jan 27, 2010)

Not to serrate. :thumbsup:


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## RAGE CAGE (Jan 27, 2010)

I was a plain/half serated guy- but I have recently found that entire serated is likely better suited for most bushcraft WTSHTF situations.


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## photonwave (Jan 27, 2010)

RAGE CAGE said:


> I was a plain/half serated guy- but I have recently found that entire serated is likely better suited for most bushcraft WTSHTF situations.



I would like a serrated or scallop-edged two-handed machete to test this out, personally. I've got a fair but lil rusty katana that has had much use out in the forest, it'd be a nice matchup.


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## CNR (Jan 27, 2010)

I only had 1 fully and 1 partially serated knife before, and i ended up giving them away.
I don't like serrations for several reasons:

I can't sharpen them properly, and i never took the effort to know, since i feel that if some "teeth" get damaged in use, i won't be able to restore the blade again anyway.

I don't like the way they cut, it feels clumsy and lacks precision (even out of control in some occasions ), and they're really bad in cutting certain materials, such as loose fabric or textile sacks.

I'm not a knife guru of course, but i keep my EDCs very sharp, i get to use them a lot in very different tasks everyday, from work to outdoors, and frankly i believe that there are very few tasks in which a serrated blade would perform noticeably better than a really sharp plain blade, on the other hand, there are tasks where serrations can be a real problem.

Combo edges, are even more of a headache, it seems to me that they perform worse than the same blade fully serrated, since i can't utilise any of the 2 parts of the blade in full.

That's my opinion, but then again, i'm the kind of guy who also likes thin polished blades over thick, coated, pry-bar like ones, and thinks that sharpening and oiling a carbon steel blade every other day, is relaxing, so i think i'm a minority anyway


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## stockae92 (Jan 27, 2010)

I prefer straight blade, cause if its said 3" blade, i can use the whole 3" blade (for most application)


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## DoctaDink (Jan 27, 2010)

Or, perhaps you could go with BOTH:
http://www.knifeworks.com/byrdwingsg-10handleplainandserratedblades.aspx

I prefer to have different knives for different jobs. Generally I prefer plain edged knives.


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## 420light (Jan 31, 2010)

I EDC a Partially serrated one right now. I bought it because it offers best of both. I have not needed to use the serrated part yet though.


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## fyrstormer (Jan 31, 2010)

RAGE CAGE said:


> I was a plain/half serated guy- but I have recently found that entire serated is likely better suited for most bushcraft WTSHTF situations.


Well, yes...but we're talking about a back-pocket knife here, not a knife he'll use to hack his way through the jungle to escape from drug runners.

Check this bad boy out. It makes my sharpest steel knife feel dull: 







$50 @ http://www.ceramicknife.org/. He also has a smaller $30 one, but I think this one is the best value.


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## NeonLights (Jan 31, 2010)

I used to like partially serrated blades back before I bought my Spyderco Sharpmaker, and learned how to sharpen my own knives. Back then, if the straight part of the blade got dull, at least the serrations would still rip their way through most materials I wanted to cut. Since I can put a decent edge on my own blades now, I prefer non-serrated all the way, although I still have a few knives with fully serrated blades (Spyderco and Leatherman) that are handy for certain tasks.


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## Archie Cruz (Jan 31, 2010)

Depends on end-use

Full serrated advantages:
- Guaranteed slashing capability on bare flesh, meat, fish
- Cuts paper and cardboard more easily, may even go through light sheet metal
- Excellent for bread
- Ideal for cutting netting and nylon webbing where plain edges are useless.

Full Plain Advantages:
- Delicate cutting of bare flesh, meat, fish, wood, paper
- Cleaner scraping advantage

Partial Serration is ideal for mixed use scenarios, some cordage but not specialist daily cordage cutting. NOTE: Spyderco spyder-edge type serrations are not great for cutting cordage. The latest breed of low-profile serrations are ideal for that.

I only have 3 serrated knives. A bread knife, a tomato knife and a steak knife . All my other knives are plain edged.


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## Dcon67 (Feb 1, 2010)

The only knife I'd want partial serrations on is a medium to large survival knife...to aid in sawing through small tree limbs and vines to make a lean-to or such. I've found that the little area of serrations on small EDC knives is pretty useless. I think a lot of people use the serrations as a crutch because it makes the knife useable even if it's dull, so they can still cut through through stuff without having to bother sharpening it.

As for steak knives, while I have serrated steak knives....a SHARP straight edged knife cuts through a steak far better than the steak knives do. I can hold a steak with my fork and quickly drag a paring knife throught the steak in one smooth motion....as opposed to sawing through it. If I'm slicing up a steak across the grain ala london broil, thats exactly how I do it. Of course using thin plain edges on a ceramic plate will dull a knife pretty much instantly, I think that's the main reason why dinner/steak knives are serrated rather than plain edged.


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## fyrstormer (Feb 2, 2010)

To be fair, if you're trying to cut a loop of something that is fibrous (like rope or sinew) that would otherwise be able to slide off the end of the blade, it _does_ come in handy to have that little patch of serrations to anchor the stuff in place as you're pulling the blade through it. But at the same time, a properly-sharpened straight-blade knife will cut through the same material in a few strokes if you have a hard surface to do your cutting on.


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## Linger (Feb 2, 2010)

My dive knives are back-serrated (and a few other tool workings there too), it is an excellent format and I stopped carrying my 'camping' knife on trips in favour of my smaller double edged titanium.
Too much pressure on the lock I guess to back-serrate a folding knife? it would make a very versatile tool.


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## photonwave (Feb 4, 2010)

Linger said:


> My dive knives are back-serrated (and a few other tool workings there too), it is an excellent format and I stopped carrying my 'camping' knife on trips in favour of my smaller double edged titanium.
> Too much pressure on the lock I guess to back-serrate a folding knife? it would make a very versatile tool.



I've got some old Case knives and Old Timer knives that have a sufficiently-stable inner lock that could likely handle a back serration. It's really dependent upon the manufacturer and quality of design.


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## jerseylight (Feb 5, 2010)

You should go with the non-serrated blade because serrations are a pain to sharpen in my opinion.


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## mrartillery (Feb 17, 2010)

partially serrated, its just what ive grown accustomed to. although i do own several non serrated blades, all a matter of opinion and usage.


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## moonfish (Feb 17, 2010)

When I'm in the woods and I find myself in a situation like I have to cut a bomb out of the carcass of a wiggling fish in 20 seconds or die, I choose the bumpy tool.


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## CDS (Feb 26, 2010)

If the blade is of high quality steel and you know how to sharpen it to a appropriate angle and edge quality, then a plain edge can be a frightfully effective cutting tool. My plain edged knives, have amazed and scared my friends when I demonstrate what a highly sharpend, D2, 154cm, sv30 or vg-10 blade is capable of. My advice is to buy good steel "plain edge" and learn how to put a excellent edge on it. Then you will understand what the definition of sharp is


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## KiwiMark (Mar 14, 2010)

Radiophile said:


> The only serrated knives I like are for slicing bread and tomatoes, and I often use just a plain edge for tomatoes.



I greatly prefer a SHARP plain edge for slicing tomatoes, a serrated knife is for hacking through the tomato. A blunt knife is about as useful as a spoon - so if you don't have a sharp knife then serrated is better.



420light said:


> I EDC a Partially serrated one right now. I bought it because it offers best of both. I have not needed to use the serrated part yet though.



I think you mean 'worst of both' because you only get a short length of plain and a short lenght of serrated. I'd rather have 2 knives on me than a combo edge.

My LM Wave has a serrated blade that I haven't sharpened in the 8 years I've had it - and it is still as sharp as when it was new. Of course the reason it has stayed so sharp is that I never use it.


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## csa (Mar 14, 2010)

I prefer a SHARP plain edge for EDC. I carried a serrated for a long time, but prefer the plain for most cutting tasks.


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## Chauncey Gardner (Mar 14, 2010)

Radiophile said:


> My EDC is partially serrated and to be honest I can't remember the last time I used the the serrations. I prefer a plain edge because it's easier to use and easier to sharpen. It's also predictable. I don't care for the way serrations cut in a jerky manner. If I could find the model of knife I carry with a plain edge I would buy it in a minute, but it's out of production.
> 
> Regarding steak knives - I prefer a plain edge on them, and I keep them very sharp. If you ever use a sharp plain edge steak knife, you'll never use a serrated knife again.
> 
> The only serrated knives I like are for slicing bread and tomatoes, and I often use just a plain edge for tomatoes.


 
Total agreement, but I only carry plain, very sharp edges.
The combo edges maybe come out for camping or stay in the vehicles for rope & such.


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## OCD (Mar 14, 2010)

I too had a partial serrate at one time. It was a pretty good size Gerber. But I felt as if I might as well be carrying a smaller knife, with only half a plain edge.

Now I won't buy a serrated knife unless its a kitchen knife or like my Leatherman Wave with both!

I also EDC a SHARP knife. And by sharp, it will shave! :devil: If I can't get my EDC sharp enough to shave, it won't be my EDC!


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## KiwiMark (Mar 14, 2010)

OCD said:


> I also EDC a SHARP knife. And by sharp, it will shave! :devil: If I can't get my EDC sharp enough to shave, it won't be my EDC!



I EDC a Victorinox Cybertool, a Leatherman Wave & a Leatherman K502x - that totals 1 serrated blade & 4 plain edge blades. That means that I have 4 blades on me that are each sharp enough to shave. I figure that if I have a knife it should be able to cut!

Even the blade on my LM Squirt S4 is 'shaving sharp'. My heaviest knife is 26oz and it can shave. My Mora & Opinel knifes can all shave VERY easily. My BK-7 & BK-9 came shaving sharp and I have kept them like that. The only blunt knives I own are the butter knives in the kitchen!

Learning to sharpen a knife was one of the most worthwhile things that I have done in the last year.


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## WDR65 (Mar 15, 2010)

Let me preface this by saying that I'm in the nursery industry and we use a lot of nylon strap, similar to seatbelt strap but heavier with more strands woven in for tying up baskets and as attachment points for chains. We also use a lot of sisal twine which while not as heavy there is still a lot of cutting in an average day. 

The past few years while I was in another industry my normal edc has been a plain edge but I just ordered a Spyderco Manix 2 with a partially serrated edge and have started carrying my old Endura 3 partially serrated. I prefer my knives to be very sharp also but neither my Native III S30V or my Griptillians which all have plain edges cannot cut strap all day long with ease. 

The partially serrated Endura and Delica that I own have no problem with it. I just cut strap with the serrated section and then use the plain edge for whatever else. In fact Spyderco has the best serrations that I have ever seen or used and with the sharpmaker they aren't hard to sharpen at all. 

As its been said before in this thread it all depends on what your needs are. My work needs are a little outside the norm and I haven't found the perfect knife yet but its fun to keep trying new ones.


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## KiwiMark (Mar 15, 2010)

WDR65 said:


> Let me preface this by saying that I'm in the nursery industry and we use a lot of nylon strap, similar to seatbelt strap but heavier with more strands woven in for tying up baskets and as attachment points for chains. We also use a lot of sisal twine which while not as heavy there is still a lot of cutting in an average day.



For this situation I would carry a fully serrated knife for work, actually I would carry 2 knives - 1 plain edge for other tasks and 1 fully serrated for the nylon & sisal.


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## Illum (Mar 15, 2010)

serrate ends are impossible to sharpen by hand...and if you ever decide to rip open a hole on your arm, hand, or elsewhere...its not going to heal without stitches and will leave a scar. 

good thing about plain blade is that most self-inflicted wounds heal up nicely, except when I hit the bone by accident


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## WDR65 (Mar 17, 2010)

Kiwimark,
I am carrying a small fully serrated blade but I prefer my larger edc to have a combo edge. I am looking at a few other fully serrated spydercos though, so that could change.

Illum,
Ouch. I sympathize. I've never been cut badly though I've knicked myself many times.


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## KiwiMark (Mar 17, 2010)

WDR65 said:


> I am looking at a few other fully serrated spydercos though, so that could change.



Let us know how it goes. I don't spend all day cutting rope so I don't really know first hand how it is to cut - but I would imagine a fully serrated blade would be much easier than a combo blade, you would have the full length of the blade to cut the rope/nylon/sisal with. Buy one, try it and let us all know how it compares.


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## Phaselock (Mar 18, 2010)

I would go with a plain edge. All my knives are plain edge. Much easier to sharpen.


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## imgadgetman (Mar 19, 2010)

For me I always want serrated, plain, scissors and wood saw, so I carry a Leatherman Surge. It also has a diamond file that I can use to sharpen my blades in a pinch. I like having the serrated as it cuts well even if it is dull. I also carry a couple of very sharp plain blades that are sharpened on medium crocksticks to maintain "micro-serrations."
imgadgetman


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## choombak (Mar 21, 2010)

Use the right tool for the job -- if you don't happen to cut a lot of fibrous material, which needs back-and-forth movement of the blade a lot, then its serrated. Plain edge works well almost everywhere except a few occassions.

-Amarendra


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