Serrated knives, why do you need them?

[Londinium Armoury]

So personally I don't use them, and I do a lot of cooking and also bake home made bread, I also have had quite a few jobs where carrying a knife was a part of my tool kit. I say that because people tell me chef's need serrated knives, and people in warehouse need serrations for cutting strapping and zips etc.
I find serrations only get in my way, make cutting an untidy affair and snag up and are also annoying to sharpen (not dificult just annoying)
The chef argument doesn't make sense to me, especially when it comes to making presentable dishes and cuts, serrations, especially on freshly baked bread and cakes tear and rip whatever you are cutting and make tons of crumbs fall of. I get a much finer and more presentable cut even in the most soft and fresh loaf of bread with a razor sharp plain edge kitchen knife. I can slice up bread into very thin slices without a single crumb or flake falling onto the chopping board, and the bread looks crisp and flat, unlike a serrated bread knife sawing through the loaf.
The warehouse and "Worker" argument doesn't make sense to me as I haven't found a ziptie or piece of rope that my sharpened plain edge knives can't slice through like a laser. I want to know what it is that people are doing with serrated knives that a properly sharpened plain blade can't get through?
I've also heard the "Serrations cut for longer" argument, where people state their plain edge blade goes dull too quickly and they need to keep on cutting. This argument to me makes more sense than the above 2 but I also just think well "Get some better steel then" I don't like working edges, and always prefer a honed razors edge, so I do understand having to keep sharpening a blade can be annoying. But when I'm in a position where I know i'm going to lose my absolute hair whittling sharpness then I will settle for a good working toothy edge until I can hone my blade when I'm finished. So I'd just choose some high wear steel knife like K390, or even some S30V that is going to keep cutting with a working edge. If I was in some profession that required I keep cutting the most horrible material, then I'd go grab some Maxamet or grab a tungsten carbide knife or something.

I have heard "You can't cut bread with a non serrated knife" this makes me wonder if they have ever owned a properly sharpened knife before, and their knives are probably all very dull, and maybe that's why they prefer serrations and think they are useful.

Why do you personally prefer serrations? Maybe they are good as back up knives? When everything else you have on you has dulled, or you are working in a busy kitchen and you just can't stop to sharpen a knife, so you whip out the serrated blade? I really can't think of any other situation where I'd ever need one.
Maybe you work in a cold steel warehouse, and it's mooring rope prep day, getting ready for a marathon cutting session, and your maxamet blade just can't get through 6000 ft of rope.

 

[Dadpool]

Most of my hiking knives are serrated H1. H1 holds its edge better with serrations, and the stuff I'm most likely to need to cut in an emergency will probably be fibrous, which is an area where serrations really shine.

A serrated knife will also tend to stay "working sharp," which I like when I'm considering a survival situation in which I won't be able to sharpen my knife.

Serrations also increase the effective length of the blade. I keep a little H1 Ladybug in my truck's console, and for a tiny knife it cuts like a demon.

There are differing schools of thought on the utility of serrations for self-defense knives, but people who know a lot more about self-defense than me manufacture and swear by them.

 

[CWL]

The main reason is probably because the vast majority of people don't know or care about good steels nor how to properly sharpen knives. Those people benefit from mediocre steel with serrated edges.

 

[MarkN86]

I have used partial serrations quite a bit, but never a fully serrated blade.

Outside of being harder to sharpen, I think serrations get a bad reputation because they are poorly done in some cases. Very tall, sharply pointed serrations do get bound up on things quite easily, but shallower serrations do cut quite well with minimal binding.

A good low-grit toothy edge can do the job of serrations in a lot of cases, but not nearly as aggressively as a serrated knife.

 

[Londinium Armoury]

Most of my hiking knives are serrated H1. H1 holds its edge better with serrations, and the stuff I'm most likely to need to cut in an emergency will probably be fibrous, which is an area where serrations really shine.

A serrated knife will also tend to stay "working sharp," which I like when I'm considering a survival situation in which I won't be able to sharpen my knife.

Serrations also increase the effective length of the blade. I keep a little H1 Ladybug in my truck's console, and for a tiny knife it cuts like a demon.

There are differing schools of thought on the utility of serrations for self-defense knives, but people who know a lot more about self-defense than me manufacture and swear by them.

Isn't emergency cutting survival situation a rare occurance though? so if you have your honed plain edge knife on you wouldn't that get you out of your one off survival situation well enough? I carry 2 knives on me at all times, a beater that I use for general tasks and one I keep razor sharp that doesn't deal with any general duty stuff. So If I ever needed a really sharp razor edge I always have it on me. I understand they hold a working edge for longer, but Maxamet and K390 and tungsten carbide hold a working edge for longer than anybody could ever need in 1 day of cutting even the most rugged of stuff.

I don't agree with the SD serrations honestly, they can snag up on leather and durable materials like double stitched denims and heavy duty clothing. A serration has more chance of snagging than a plain edge knife, especially hawk bill shaped knives like that matriarch. I'd have to disagree with the people recommending serrations for SD.

 

[Londinium Armoury]

The main reason is probably because the vast majority of people don't know or care about good steels nor how to properly sharpen knives. Those people benefit from mediocre steel with serrated edges.

This was kind of my opinion, but I was trying to be nice about it, thanks for cutting to the point of my charade.

 

[craytab]

So personally I don't use them, and I do a lot of cooking and also bake home made bread, I also have had quite a few jobs where carrying a knife was a part of my tool kit. I say that because people tell me chef's need serrated knives, and people in warehouse need serrations for cutting strapping and zips etc.
I find serrations only get in my way, make cutting an untidy affair and snag up and are also annoying to sharpen (not dificult just annoying)
The chef argument doesn't make sense to me, especially when it comes to making presentable dishes and cuts, serrations, especially on freshly baked bread and cakes tear and rip whatever you are cutting and make tons of crumbs fall of. I get a much finer and more presentable cut even in the most soft and fresh loaf of bread with a razor sharp plain edge kitchen knife. I can slice up bread into very thin slices without a single crumb or flake falling onto the chopping board, and the bread looks crisp and flat, unlike a serrated bread knife sawing through the loaf.
The warehouse and "Worker" argument doesn't make sense to me as I haven't found a ziptie or piece of rope that my sharpened plain edge knives can't slice through like a laser. I want to know what it is that people are doing with serrated knives that a properly sharpened plain blade can't get through?
I've also heard the "Serrations cut for longer" argument, where people state their plain edge blade goes dull too quickly and they need to keep on cutting. This argument to me makes more sense than the above 2 but I also just think well "Get some better steel then" I don't like working edges, and always prefer a honed razors edge, so I do understand having to keep sharpening a blade can be annoying. But when I'm in a position where I know i'm going to lose my absolute hair whittling sharpness then I will settle for a good working toothy edge until I can hone my blade when I'm finished. So I'd just choose some high wear steel knife like K390, or even some S30V that is going to keep cutting with a working edge. If I was in some profession that required I keep cutting the most horrible material, then I'd go grab some Maxamet or grab a tungsten carbide knife or something.

I have heard "You can't cut bread with a non serrated knife" this makes me wonder if they have ever owned a properly sharpened knife before, and their knives are probably all very dull, and maybe that's why they prefer serrations and think they are useful.

Why do you personally prefer serrations? Maybe they are good as back up knives? When everything else you have on you has dulled, or you are working in a busy kitchen and you just can't stop to sharpen a knife, so you whip out the serrated blade? I really can't think of any other situation where I'd ever need one.
Maybe you work in a cold steel warehouse, and it's mooring rope prep day, getting ready for a marathon cutting session, and your maxamet blade just can't get through 6000 ft of rope.

Never really heard the chef or warehouse worker as primary arguments for serrations. Think cutting tough fibrous materials.

 

[Londinium Armoury]

I have used partial serrations quite a bit, but never a fully serrated blade.

Outside of being harder to sharpen, I think serrations get a bad reputation because they are poorly done in some cases. Very tall, sharply pointed serrations do get bound up on things quite easily, but shallower serrations do cut quite well with minimal binding.

A good low-grit toothy edge can do the job of serrations in a lot of cases, but not nearly as aggressively as a serrated knife.

It's true some serrations are much better than others, I find cold steels and Spydercos serrations are effective and do work better than a lot of other folders. The serrations on my KA-BAR 1271 are pretty good as well. I just find them useless for 90% of my cutting tasks, if not useless then not needed, or messy, like my plain edged knives can do a better job, and more cleanly.

They do cutt aggressively, but not really how I want a knife to slice, they are more like little rip saws, I guess they might be good for bonsai farmers, cutting those little branches.

 

[Londinium Armoury]

Never really heard the chef or warehouse worker as primary arguments for serrations. Think cutting tough fibrous materials.

I've heard a few chefs and kitchen workers argue bread knives with serrations are good tools for the job. I hear the fibrous material argument too, but I haven't met a fibre yet that my plain edge can't cut through.

 

[David Mary]

Toothy plainedge, and I'm good for all my cutting needs.

 

[Londinium Armoury]

Toothy plainedge, and I'm good for all my cutting needs.

Sounds good to me, I'd take that over a fist full of serrations any day.

 

[Mitchell Knives]

Serrated knives offer 2 primary benefits IMO:

1. They maintain a "useful" level of sharpness longer for those unable to sharpen their own knives. This become a non-issue for anyone who can properly sharpen a plain edge knife.

2. They are less likely to slip off certain materials like poly rope, etc. Again, a non-issue if you don't "over sharpen" your plain edge knife.

I've never understood the perceived requirement of a serrated knife for bread. I think this belief comes from people having a dedicated knife solely for slicing bread that hasn't become dull from frequent use rather than the superiority of serrations. I don't make serrated knives and probably never will. I don't see the point.

 

[Londinium Armoury]

Serrated knives offer 2 primary benefits IMO:

1. They maintain a "useful" level of sharpness longer for those unable to sharpen their own knives. This become a non-issue for anyone who can properly sharpen a plain edge knife.

2. They are less likely to slip off certain materials like poly rope, etc. Again, a non-issue if you don't "over sharpen" your plain edge knife.

I've never understood the perceived requirement of a serrated knife for bread. I think this belief comes from people having a dedicated knife solely for slicing bread that hasn't become dull from frequent use rather than the superiority of serrations. I don't make serrated knives and probably never will. I don't see the point.

I thought of a perfect situation to why a bread knife has serrations, it's the ultimate multi purpose prep knife, because when you brutishly saw through a loaf of bread, you can then scoop up all of the crumbs you just created and make some breadcrumb coating for your fried chicken wings.

 

[David Mary]

LOL! It's getting dangerous in here...

 

[Dadpool]

Isn't emergency cutting survival situation a rare occurance though?

If I'm solo hiking in the middle of nowhere, a more likely scenario is needing to use my knife to help me survive until help arrives: making a fire, building shelter, making a splint, etc. "Emergency" was a poor choice of words on my part.

I also sometimes carry plain-edge knives when hiking, so it's definitely not the end of the world. But if I'm going to get rained on, and therefore already appreciate my H1, I want my H1 serrated and I see value in those serrations.

 

[Steely_Gunz]

I'm generally not a fan, but they do work well in a hurry and with poor technique. By that I mean cutting a belt or strap when seconds count. I find that I can get a serrated edge kind of up and under and pull frantically where a laser sharp plain edge will need more contact with the material. I keep a serrated edge on me when I am near water for this reason.

They do tend to keep a workable edge pretty much forever. Think of your most beater of beater steak knives. Mine are cheap 15 year old POS that my wife and I got when we first got married. 15 years of dragging across stone plates, being thrown in the dishwasher, and generally abused. I have never sharpened nor even stropped one. They still cut as well as one would expect a saw with micro serrations would.

As a knife knut, I know "better" and maintain my blades. However, if I were tossed to the wilds with a super hard steel knife, I might opt for some serrations. They always seem to stay minute of animal claw sharp.

 

[Londinium Armoury]

If I'm solo hiking in the middle of nowhere, a more likely scenario is needing to use my knife to help me survive until help arrives: making a fire, building shelter, making a splint, etc. "Emergency" was a poor choice of words on my part.

I also sometimes carry plain-edge knives when hiking, so it's definitely not the end of the world. But if I'm going to get rained on, and therefore already appreciate my H1, I want my H1 serrated and I see value in those serrations.

I can see it being useful for that, I thought you meant for cutting you out of a seatbelt type of emergency or something like that. I guess if you are stranded in the woods for an extended period having a little saw blade on you would come in handy, probably not great at feather sticking or other bushcraft related tasks, but might work for sawing tree branches and stuff like that, and not needing to be sharpened as often.
I go camping quite a lot never really take any serrated blades with me though, not that I own many to even try.

 

[Londinium Armoury]

LOL! It's getting dangerous in here...

 

[DocJD]

Faster , easier and surer cutting , especially of tough , fibrous materials .

Properly designed and sharpened serrations will cut smoothly and have little tendency to snag . Smaller , finer teeth have less snagging but harder to sharpen .

I usually reserve my serrated use to emergency , SD , and jobs that demand speed and efficiency .

Not because they don't work great for most things I need done ...I just don't like the sharpening .

 

[Londinium Armoury]

I'm generally not a fan, but they do work well in a hurry and with poor technique. By that I mean cutting a belt or strap when seconds count. I find that I can get a serrated edge kind of up and under and pull frantically where a laser sharp plain edge will need more contact with the material. I keep a serrated edge on me when I am near water for this reason.

They do tend to keep a workable edge pretty much forever. Think of your most beater of beater steak knives. Mine are cheap 15 year old POS that my wife and I got when we first got married. 15 years of dragging across stone plates, being thrown in the dishwasher, and generally abused. I have never sharpened nor even stropped one. They still cut as well as one would expect a saw with micro serrations would.

As a knife knut, I know "better" and maintain my blades. However, if I were tossed to the wilds with a super hard steel knife, I might opt for some serrations. They always seem to stay minute of animal claw sharp.

Yeah that's kind of what Dadpool was saying, I can see the wilderness argument for having a mini saw that has a forever working edge, that's probably one of the better arguments I have heard for serrations. You never know though, you might think those cheap beater steak knives are garbage, or you just didn't know they were made of Chinese super steel, a secret handed down the line for generations.