Plain or Serrated edge for a survival knife?

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ShooterMcgavin

Joined
Jan 20, 2008
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I'm not sure what is best. I generally prefer a plain edge. It is just more simple, makes cleaner cuts, and it's easier to sharpen. However, the knife I'm looking for should be able to do "everything" well. Buying a serrated blade means I will need to get more equipment and learn to sharpen a serrated edge. The serrated should cut rope/cord better though. Will a serrated edge be good for batoning (on occasion)? What should I get and why??

This knife will be 4-5" long, fixed blade.
Thanks.
 
For a wilderness survival knife, you definitely want a plain edge on your main knife. Here are a few reasons for this:
- sharpenability. In the wilds, especially when packing and hiking about, you'll have minimal sharpening equipment with you. A plain edge is sharpenable with a single stone, particularly a dual-grit stone. A serrated edge requires more complex equipment.
- cutting ability. As you mentioned, a plain edge slices well. Serrations were designed to tear. In the wilderness, there's very little which needs to be torn instead of slices or chopped.
- durability. Serrations are miniature teeth, small pieces of metal protruding from the main blade. As such, they are more prone to binding and breaking, especially when used forcefully against a hard object. Batoning a serrated knife through a knot-ridden branch could be very bad for the blade. Serrations also wear down with sharpening.

If you're going to a marine environment, a serrated or partially serrated knife is a useful tool. In a predominantly land environment, though, I certainly recommend and use plain-edged knives.
 
I prefer plain. I just find it more useful. There are however some exceptions. For diving, rock climbing, and rescue operations where the difference between life and death can be sawing through a rope in 7 seconds or slicing through that same rope in 25 seconds. Those seconds can matter if your caught underwater, or freeing someone from seat belts or ropes or whatever. In the field doing bushcraft, camping, etc they can be useful but not necessary. It can be easy enough to sharpen serrations in the field with simple equipment. A ceramic or diamond rod can work and is easy to carry. It could be useful to have some blade with you that has serrations. Maybe a small folder with half serrations or something.
 
My personal choice is always a combo blade.


Buck Strider
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Gerber LMF II
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and i also have a Gerber Prodigy, no pic though.

i just wish a good knife company could come out with a spearpoint blade 7" blade knife with plain edge on the lower edge and serated on the top. Oh yea... and affordable made out of decent steel. ---- Eric
 
In order to get what you want could involve several knives. I don't think I'd want serrations on a fixed blade knife. Get a plain fixed blade, a large plain edge folder with a belt sheath, a pocket clip knife with a serrated edge, a plain edge a/o with clip, a Becker Necker, a keychain combo and a Waspknife. That should get you through the first day. If you have any problems on your second day let us know.
 
popcornpicker said:
In order to get what you want could involve several knives. I don't think I'd want serrations on a fixed blade knife. Get a plain fixed blade, a large plain edge folder with a belt sheath, a pocket clip knife with a serrated edge, a plain edge a/o with clip, a Becker Necker, a keychain combo and a Waspknife. That should get you through the first day. If you have any problems on your second day let us know.
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I would have trouble walking with all that steel on me:D
 
Ah you Americans with your inches. I thought he meant Centimeters. He could always get 2 and keep one for a neck knife. Anyone else seen a good large fixed blade with serrations on the back?
 
I don't think I've seen a good or even half way decent knife with a serrated back outside of a Randall or a custom.
 
Get a plain edge. If it's sharp it will cut better than a serrated blade will. It's much easier to sharpen also.
 
Thanks for all the input. The last guy I talked to at a gun shop suggested a partial-serrated edge for a survival knife. I think I will take most of the advice here and go with what I prefer - a plain edge.

I also agree with popcornpicker. I should probably get more than one knife. Maybe a solid PE and a cheaper SE knife. ...and I have been looking for my perfect neck knife for a while (solid, but nothing too pricey).

DrivebyTrucker, you outlined my main thoughts in your first post. Good info there. I also like that CRKT knife that you linked, as a cheap, multi-purpose knife.

For my main knife, I am seriously considering the RAT RC-4. If anyone else has comments or recommendations, please post 'em up.
 
On knives under 5 inches I prefer the straight edge. Looking at the RAT 4 the cutting edge is only 4 inches due to the choil and with the combo edge there would not be enough straight edge for me therefore I'd go with the plain edge on that knife. A very good knife for the money imo.
 
I never EDC a serrated or combo edge. I always carry a plain edge blade. Serrations just get in the way for the tasks that I like or have to do with a blade. I look at serrations as something to have to cut through thick cordage quicker, or an option for people that don't use their blade much or don't know how to maintain one. I do keep a combo edge blade on the multi-tool I EDC though, a SOG Powerlock. I rarely use it.
 
he who say said:
not to long ago there was only plain edge knives, and people still managed to survive.
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Indeed.

Plain edge for me, always and every single time.

I cannot think of any even remotely possible survival type task that I could not perform with a sharp plain edge knife but could perform with a serrated edge knife. There are some few tasks that serrated edges do better, but a sharp plain edge will handle such tasks well enough for me certainly. So, plain edge.
 
A plain edge close to the grip gives you the option of making fuzz sticks with much more control.
You won't ever need serrations.
Also, a german gun magazine made a test once, they compared how serrated and plain edges cut through seat belts and ropes - there was no big difference!
 
Plain edge for me.As for rope cutting,a small hawkbill will be just as effective(or better) as any serrated knife.Less chance of slipping off.

That's why I always carry a hawkbill & a strait edge.
 
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bitter1 said:
I don't think I've seen a good or even half way decent knife with a serrated back outside of a Randall or a custom.
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RAT certainly has the serration thing down. They are functional, and are easy to sharpen. Kershaw is now using the straight scalloped serrations too.

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For a pure survival knife, I like having the option to rip stuff up if I need to. I'd go with the RC-4 or wait on the SERE RC-5 release.
 

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