What do you use your serrated (folding) knife for?

I once tried cutting the pelvic bone of a deer using serrations. It wiped the serrations off the blade like a cartoon.

And as I'm sitting here wondering back at all the things I've cut through the years. There's nothing besides that deer I can remember putting serrations to work. Outside a steak knife.

They're pretty useless unless you're cutting straps or rope.
 
Serrations are ugly, but boy do they work. The create mini points that when slicing through soft materials. It makes mince meat of cardboard and other soft materials. If you were to measure the effective edge of a serrated blade it would be longer than a plain edge of the same blade length. So, more cutting surface.
 
I’m an electrician too doing mostly commercial stuff. I love my serrated spydercos for snapping zip ties, skinning small wire, cutting ceiling tiles, boxes and even using it as a sheet rock saw lol but that’s mostly my k390 SE police. I ream emt with k390 too haha it’s amazing it can literally carve and shave softer steels no problem

To be more specific: I ream with the spine of the blade
 
They're definitely hell on zip ties, and useful for many things as already mentioned. Also just good as a knife to preserve your edge on your primary folder as eveled said, and I've found it to be a great loner to those who are not accustomed to a razor sharp plain edge. I carry a fully serrated Dragonfly almost daily along with my primary folder for just these reasons, and it's turned out to be quite handy on many occasions. Most of the time I even forget to take it out for EDC pics because it rides so unnoticed until needed.

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DrubieG__MimicKnives said:
I’m an electrician too doing mostly commercial stuff. I love my serrated spydercos for snapping zip ties, skinning small wire, cutting ceiling tiles, boxes and even using it as a sheet rock saw lol but that’s mostly my k390 SE police. I ream emt with k390 too haha it’s amazing it can literally carve and shave softer steels no problem

To be more specific: I ream with the spine of the blade
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I use my knives for all of the same things lol (except reaming emt that’s actually funny/interesting). Today I used my adamas as a pry bar!

Thanks for sharing everyone, I’m gonna rock my dragon fly as a secondary blade tomorrow (and for the foreseeable future) and let my serration freak flag fly high
 
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In my opinion, your girl did you right, and in fact this exact knife is on my list of knives I want. If I was working near boats/docks again, I would buy it tomorow - with the serrated blade.

Generally I don't like serrated blades. There are two exceptions, one really important one. And that is any time you're near lots of ropes that are under the control of a motorized vehicle. So, boating. In my opinion, every single crew person on a boat should be carrying a one-handed serrated blade for when you need to CUT THAT LINE NOW!!!!

Boating is one situation where a person can (and people often do) get seriously injured including losing an appendage/limb because they stepped into a loop or otherwise got on the wrong side of a line (rope) and the boat (or the dinghy) started moving. Maybe you're tying to a cleat and get a finger caught, and inertia takes the boat. ETC. I've never saved someone from physical injury like that on a boat, but I have saved the boat from damage when a stupid pilot didn't realize we were still moored. I had a straight edge and because I keep it sharp it worked, but it was not as quick as a serrated blade is.

I also like to carry a straight blade on a boat, for general tasks. I used to carry a crew knife but these days I would probably just carry a Leatherman wave. But that's for general use. I still want that serrated on me at all times for the emergency. In particular, I'd carry it on my left because my right hand is more likely to get stuck in something, and anyway I already would have my regular blade on my right.

So, I think of a serrated boating knife as an emergency knife that I might never use, like like you might own a "rescue" knife, even though I'm the last person you'd want to depend on if you need to be rescued. And anyway I never carry that.

Oh - rafting and diving are also situations where you might want a one-handed serrated blade for emergencies. For similar reasons - cutting a line/rope, quick!

To me, everything about the SDS serrated is perfect as an emergency backup for all of these situations. I like the angle of it because it has a point but it's not quite so stabby - and stabby is not good if you're on a boat and the boat is moving and you're near someone else. "He cut the rope off my wrist before the boat took the wrist, but he stabbed my tendons in the process."

My point is: I think you need to buy a boat now.

(Also: cutting cardboard and cutting rubber hoses)
 
jayjaygee said:
Interesting. Please say more?
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The last knife I had before the caribbean that was serrated was probably 11 or 12 years earlier, the serrations hung up on material and got pieces of the stuff caught in the teeth. Sharpening them was also not feasible. The caribbean has neither of those issues, zero catching, easy sharpening and very aggressive cutting.
 
Cobalt said:
If you were to measure the effective edge of a serrated blade it would be longer than a plain edge of the same blade length. So, more cutting surface.
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While “more cutting surface” is technically true, it’s a little misleading. I find that a serrated edge concentrates the wear on the tips, and the hollows are often untouched, kinda like a saw blade.

Turn a dull serrated blade up and look at it under a bright light, you’ll see a glint off each tip, not the hollows.

The good news is, that’s a start toward removing all the serrations and making it a plain edged blade.

Parker
 
I’ve been waiting for someone to post this question for a while and I’ve been thinking about my answer for a good while too. so here we go I carry my spyderco salt 2 for edc. The way I see it it has 14 blades on one piece of LC200N steel and one of those has a pretty sharp point. I’ve never had an issue cutting anything and I hardly know it’s in my pocket until I need it. A very lightweight and sharp knife
 
I use folders with fully serrated blade or half-serrated blades on walks and hikes, with my dogs and really are superb at slashing brambles around styles/narrow paths, bushcrafting forays and and foraging. I would like to add an article written many years ago where Sal Glesser of Spyderco is explaining clearly his view on serrated blades:
“Our interest in serrations developed during the 1970’s when we learned that a serrated edge cuts more effectively. Investigation at that time revealed that they cut more effectively for a variety of reasons.
1. You have more linear inches of cutting surface.
2. You have single point penetration at the tip of each serration. The concentration of force at the tip provides much better penetration than just sliding a sharp plain edge across almost any type of material.
3. The center of effort rotates around the serration as you are cutting with it. This permits a more efficient separation of the material being cut"
More: https://forum.spyderco.com/viewtopic.php?t=14624
 
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shinyedges said:
The last knife I had before the caribbean that was serrated was probably 11 or 12 years earlier, the serrations hung up on material and got pieces of the stuff caught in the teeth. Sharpening them was also not feasible. The caribbean has neither of those issues, zero catching, easy sharpening and very aggressive cutting.
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Oh, "the caribbean" is a knife? I assumed you were saying that you didn't appreciate cerrated blades until you spent some time in the Caribbean. I assumed you also worked on boats or something.
 
jayjaygee said:
Oh, "the caribbean" is a knife? I assumed you were saying that you didn't appreciate cerrated blades until you spent some time in the Caribbean. I assumed you also worked on boats or something.
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Well, just between you and I, I did spend some time in the caribbean with a captain, he was kind of a pirate really, I think his name was morgan. Any way, yes, while aboard his vessel which could have been named the "black pearl" or some such, was when I came to appreciate serrated knives.
 
When I used to work at the airport, handling freight which means being around of lots of rope and tape and thick nylon, I used the serrated blade on my Wave to cut through all that tough stuff. I was really impressed with how easily the serrated blade cut through everything compared to the plain edge. I dont use serrated blades anymore sonce I dont need them anymore, carrying a Sage 5 LW or Manix 2 XL as my EDC since I only have to cut small plastic straps in my current job
 
Spyderco Jumpmaster 2 fully serrated fixed blade is a cutting machine on various materials, holds up really well. They inhabit the Bugout bags of those that know more a hell of a lot more about knives than me. 🤓
 
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Though I may in the minority, when I'm only carrying one knife, it's generally a combo-edge but, the virtues of a fully serrated edge cannot be ignored and in lightweight pants I mostly have a SAK and a Pacific Salt fully serrated,

Not counting SAKs, if I am carrying two knives, one will be fully serrated and the other plain edge, with the plain edge sometimes being a small(er) fixed blade.

Every day stuff like cardboard, tomatoes, packaging, wire tires - are no matech for a fully serrated blade. If I'm hunting and planning (hoping) to field dress a deer or similar critter I will have a decicated fixed blade with me for that purpose. Same with camping where wood prep (kindling splitting, limb lopping, etc.) is anticpated, I'll have one of by Becker fixed blades with me for those things.

EDC-ing a fully serrated blade is more useful than one may think - moreso if around line, cord and fibrous materials that need cutting.
 
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The last time I owned a serrated knife, was a half serrated Spyderco Walker many years ago, when I thought it would be a good idea in the military, where you didn't always have time to sharpen your knife but you did need it to cut stuff in a hurry when you pulled it out. Then I went cold turkey on serrated knives for decades, but there are a few I'd probably buy now (most likely a Spyderco knife).

I don't spend as much time on a boat anymore, haven't done any rappelling for years, and aren't doing any climbing that doesn't involve a ladder, so it's not as in demand as it would otherwise be. They'd also be great for cutting bindings on bundles of shingles or making a spectacle at Christmas for opening presents...
 
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