SE or PE That is the question

[ss Navigator]

There seems to be a definite division between those who prefer serrated edges and those who prefer traditional plain edge blades. I have always opted for PE but I have never had a spyderedge to compare.
In contemplating my purchase of a para military I have found myself "stuck on two piercing points" the first is satin or black, the second as you may well have guessed PE or SE. I would appreciate your opinions on these matters :spyder:

[foggy]

I would get a PE, no black blade because of scratches.....

[cobrajoe]

I highly reccomend getting at least one SE, but I prefer SE on blades like wharnie, reverse S, or Hawkbill.

But then again, I've never used a full flat ground SE, so maybe it'd be better.

[fellyjr]

PE Black Blade. :cool: :D

[Firefighter880]

SS Navigator,

I just received my SE Satin blade Paramilitary tonight! This knife is incredible! I'm not going to lie, the Para has got to be one of the best Spydercos ever produced. Now for your questions....

Black or Satin?

My Military is a Black CE, and I love that knife. However, I am a little bit more careful with it because black coatings are known to mar and scratch easily. But the Syderco Black coating has been said to be very resistant to scratching. I bought a satin blade Paramilitary because this is the knife I want to take with me for everything hardcore. I plan on using and abusing this knife like no other. I really wanted a knife I could push to the limit, and for that type of knife, a satin blade just makes more since than a black blade.

If you want to use the knife hard, get a satin blade.
If this knife will sit on a shelf somewhere, get a black blade (the black blade does look cool).

SE or PE?

SE. If you have never had a Spyderedge knife, this is the knife to try it on. Like I said, I wanted my Para as a knife I could carry with me when I go on my "weekend adventures" like caving, rock climbing, back packing, hiking, and so on. That being said, SE is a must. I'm always needing to cut through rope or webbing or something like that, and the spyder teeth are awesome for those chores!

So again, it depends on what you want to use the knife for. If you want a "outdoor knife" for weekend adventures, get SE.
If you want a good slicer for indoor tasks, get PE.

It really all comes down to what niche the Para is going to fill for you. But I just got my SE satin blade, and I love it :D !

SE Satin Blade is my vote!

:spyder:

You're going to love the Para!

[spydutch]

I would vote for satin and (of course :p ) SE :D

The serrations on the Para are very strong and despite being somewhat rounder than on other steels, they cut like there's no tomorrow.

I tried my Para at work and was amazed how well the rounder serrations ate through card board and rip ties. Absolutely no less effective than my VG10 SE blades

[WOTANSON1]

You don't have any SE knives :eek: , say it ain't so!!!! You owe it to yourself to try one, it is the most efficient edge ever invented. Don't listen to the doomsday PE crew, SE is just as, if not easier to keep sharp and sharpen, SE lasts longer between sharpening and it's a better cutter hands down. That is unless you do a WHOLE lot of scraping and "whittling" (still trying to find out what that is, I'm a city boy so)...... I'm sure Arend will be along shortly to school you some more.

Cheers,
Rob

[WOTANSON1]

[quote="spydutch"]I would vote for satin and (of course :p ) SE :D

The serrations on the Para are very strong and despite being somewhat rounder than on other steels, they cut like there's no tomorrow.

I tried my Para at work and was amazed how well the rounder serrations ate through card board and rip ties. Absolutely no less effective than my VG10 SE blades ]
Darn it! You beat me to it! :D :D

[denn]

get the Para in satin PE and buy a cheaper model in SE to see if you like it

denn

[cobrajoe]

get the Para in satin PE and buy a cheaper model in SE to see if you like it

denn

I don't know...

If he finds that he likes the SE, he might be kicking himself for not getting the para in SE :D

Personally, I'm planning on getting a Rescue of some type so I can enjoy a large amount of serrations on one blade.

[afultz075]

I have several SE Spydercos, and through testing each i've only found a few things the SE does better than the PE for my purposes. The SE cuts nylon webbing and ropes awesomely and i'm sure they would be great on seatbelts in an unfortunate situation. SE also seems to work well on plastic ties. Other than that however, I find a PE does anything else just as good if not better for me.

[para-force]

For me, I like SE the best.

[SpikeDog]

I will be purchasing a ParaM. in a couple of days and have been going back and forth on the PE-SE thing. After reading this thread, I'm going SE with a silver blade.

Thanks for the info :)

[Harry White]

you really owe it to yourself to try spyderco's serrated knives. i was a PE guy for a while but now tend to favor the SE. i have two paras, both SE, one black and one satin. i personally like the look of the black blade on the paras, and while it is much more scratch resistant that other manufacturer's black coatings, it will still show signs of use more than the satin. if that bothers you, go for the satin blade. the SE blades require much less sharpening, IMO. try the SE para -- you won't regret it!

[Episteme]

I like SpyderEdge rather than PE. The SE will cut through almost any medium you might need it for, especially the S30V. That's a little reassuring to know; that in an emergency, you can cut through even steel with the SE.
I would get the Satin blade- the black coating can scratch off and make the blade look speckled.
-Mike

[flyguy]

Question for those that say that the Spyderco black finish scratches: Is this based on the rumor mill, or personal experience?

I only ask because I am interested in getting a black blade, eventually. If I could find a local place that had black ATR's, I might get one of those. I just want to see it before I buy it.

As for the original question, I would say: Either Black PE, or satin SE. As you sharpen it, I would think the PE black would look better than SE black.

[JD Spydo]

I have personally thought for quite a while now that serrated edges definitely get a bum rap. Now I will admit that serrated edged blades are a different animal in a lot of respects. But they are much better performers that most people give them credit for.

Now not all serration patterns are created equal by any means. Spyderco's are truly among the best of the best. There are chores you can do great with serrated edges whereas doing them with plain edges would be much more difficult. Cutting through fibrous and tough materials like rope, leather and certain vinyl and polymer materials are done much easier with a premium serrated edge.

Most people shy away from serrated edges and don't even give them a chance because of their apprehension about sharpening them. Most people that end up using them end up liking them. It's just like anything else in life>> people tend to hate or avoid what they don't understand

[uhiforgot]

Difficult to say SE or PE for a knife you've not had before, but if you're gonna get a first SE, the Para is a good place start. I've found that SE knives with more belly to the blade are much better EDC cutters than say, a straight bladed knife like a Recue. A SE Native can outcut cardboard and other non-rope types of things any day of the week and twice on Sunday, and cleaner too! Rescues are better at ropes, seatbelts, tube webbing, etc.

Go SE for your Para.

-Jeff

[Halfneck]

If I was buying a knife purely for self-defense or fine detail oriented cutting, I would go PE. For my everyday work and yard type cutting I prefer a SE. I tried carrying a PE at work, but found I preferred a SE for opening up boxes and cutting packing straps.

As for the black finish wearing, with enough hard use it will. The only black finish knife I still use a lot is my old Emerson CQC-7. I carried it while in the Army and used it quite a bit. The finish now has a few streaks of wear from cutting some object or another. To me they are just add to the personality of the knife.

[Piet.S]

Allways been a PE user myself but since a little while my wife got a SE Salt.
When she's not carrying it, its laying about on the kitchen table.
So being curious, I started using it sometimes for food prep.
I found it to cut a lot less akward then I expected it to be, it even peels fruit very nicely.
So I'm a bit on a slippery slope now and think I will get me one with a "Arends-Edge" pretty soon.

I think its worth a try.