Picked up my first SE knife... I don't get the hype.

[Wartstein]

Haha I wouldn't have the patients for that! How does one shave with a serrated edge anyhow? Sounds painful :D

Again, why do you "have the patience" to keep your PE knives sharp but not your SE knives?
SE takes even less patience, since it is easier and quicker to sharpen plus will then stay sharp longer...

I don't have fancy sharpeners for SE. Ive being sharpening PE for a while now and i'm quite comfortable with it.
I wouldn't be able to shave with me SE knives even if they were hair popping because they aren't rounded. It would poke into my skin.

? You don't need "fancy sharpeners" for SE: It is quicker and easier to sharpen than PE just on a regular sharpmaker or the corner of a sharpening stone... see here viewtopic.php?t=84544
(just read Vivis very first post and watch the vid there)

And: Besides being quicker to sharpen SE will then stay sharp longer and (for me) cut better than PE... pretty much a winwinwin... :)

[Wartstein]

It's worse for cutting open packages, cutting tags off clothes, opening letters than my PE dfly.

I'm confused as to why you'd think SE could've been better for cutting tape and paper. SE shines when used for tough fibrous materials, not envelopes. You just don't have a need for the serrations. But that doesn't mean they're bad. That's like trying to cut down a tree with a paring knife and then saying paring knives must be bad...

Well, properly sharpened SE actually IS better for cutting paper and tape than PE in my experience.. one needs just ONE of the scallops for that...

[Wandering_About]

Years back I spent a couple years trying SE on various models. In the end, I prefer plain edge and really have little intention of ever owning an SE knife again. They are not junk by any means but they do not work better for me in my day to day knife usage.

[JRinFL]

Um...Sometimes it feels like the SE proponents are members of a new religion. Pushing pamphlets into your hands on the streets and airports of the world. Wearing black and red jumpsuits and cutting their hair to look like SE serrations. It can be a bit much at times.

[Gtscotty]

Um...Sometimes it feels like the SE proponents are members of a new religion. Pushing pamphlets into your hands on the streets and airports of the world. Wearing black and red jumpsuits and cutting their hair to look like SE serrations. It can be a bit much at times.

The End is Nigh, Brother! Accept the warm embrace of serration-superiority into your heart or perish in a lake of uncut seatbelts!

[ladybug93]

Um...Sometimes it feels like the SE proponents are members of a new religion. Pushing pamphlets into your hands on the streets and airports of the world. Wearing black and red jumpsuits and cutting their hair to look like SE serrations. It can be a bit much at times.

[Evil D]

Um...Sometimes it feels like the SE proponents are members of a new religion. Pushing pamphlets into your hands on the streets and airports of the world. Wearing black and red jumpsuits and cutting their hair to look like SE serrations. It can be a bit much at times.

The way I see it is, people don't separate their opinion from facts.


Opinions being how they perform vs what you like and don't like, facts being what they're capable of and how they actually perform.


I won't tell a guy he's wrong for not liking them so long as he isn't basing his opinion on false info. Then I will discuss it with them, but in the end they listen or they don't. That's what a forum is all about.







Eventually I'm gonna reveal that I'm really just trolling this forum now for 4 years about serrations and y'all just fell for it. :rolleyes:

[Wandering_About]

Um...Sometimes it feels like the SE proponents are members of a new religion. Pushing pamphlets into your hands on the streets and airports of the world. Wearing black and red jumpsuits and cutting their hair to look like SE serrations. It can be a bit much at times.

I didn't want to say it but it sure can seem this way. I gave SE a solid try because a friend and fellow Spyderco enthusiast really worked hard to make me a believer. In the end, use case and sometimes just plain personal preference make a big difference in who likes SE and who doesn't. I have to admit that in certain cases SE makes a whole lot of sense. Those just aren't things I do a lot (some of these things include rescue, rope, and marine use). I'm just so comfortable with how a plain edge behaves, and they fit my use so well, that SE never won me over.

[JRinFL]

The way I see it is, people don't separate their opinion from facts.


Opinions being how they perform vs what you like and don't like, facts being what they're capable of and how they actually perform.


I won't tell a guy he's wrong for not liking them so long as he isn't basing his opinion on false info. Then I will discuss it with them, but in the end they listen or they don't. That's what a forum is all about.
...

Nothing wrong about discussing the facts.

[awa54]

I picked up a dfly in H1 with SE, and I just have to say, I don't get what people love about it. It's worse for cutting open packages, cutting tags off clothes, opening letters than my PE dfly in K390. It did seem a little better when I needed to break down a double-walled cardboard box, but it's not frequent that I have heavier-duty cutting tasks like that. For my EDC knives I'm definitely going to stick with PE.

(snark/rant alert; all who might be triggered, please set your safety now :) )


Let's face it... you're not allowed to think that SE does anything worse than PE, at least not on this forum. It's just you being closed minded and not putting in the effort to get the finest drops from your SE blades.

I agree that a sharp SE blade can do some things better than a comparably sharp PE blade, but apparently there are more people who need a knife for quick-n-dirty/emergency use than careful precision cuts, or at least that's what the SE Evangelists will have you believe.

To be clear, I *do* see a need for SE and believe that some users really will benefit from SE blades in their use case (and many will see a benefit for certain tasks), but the *constant* implication on this forum that all PE adherents are a bit slow in the head and just haven't come around to the One True Way of SE *yet* gets old after a while :rolleyes:

There, I've said my piece, we can now return to our regular programming... and maybe you'll finally convince me (and the others who still wrongheadedly continue to use PE blades) to just try SE one more time and this time maybe I'll see the light and toss all my outdated SE knives and become one of the Chosen.

(snark/rant off)


SEriously, my intent here isn't to dis Sal, or anyone who *does* feel that SE is better for them, but I wish that there was more respect in threads like this for the opinions of those who still value SE edges more, this is after all a personal decision. I'd also love to see the numbers on SE vs. PE production, I'm guessing that there is a (near)silent PE majority here and in the world at large.

P.S. I'm one of you, but I only drink 3/4 of the KoolAid (Spyderhole, clip and 50/50 choil) :D

[Doc Dan]

What about those, like me, that keep their serrated edges hair popping sharp?

sal

Haha I wouldn't have the patients for that! How does one shave with a serrated edge anyhow? Sounds painful :D

Again, why do you "have the patience" to keep your PE knives sharp but not your SE knives?
SE takes even less patience, since it is easier and quicker to sharpen plus will then stay sharp longer...

I don't have fancy sharpeners for SE. Ive being sharpening PE for a while now and i'm quite comfortable with it.
I wouldn't be able to shave with me SE knives even if they were hair popping because they aren't rounded. It would poke into my skin.

You do not need special equipment. All you need is a stone with an edge. See Vivi's excellent video.

[TkoK83Spy]

I've been on the fence with SE for a couple years now. I have a few knives that are SE, sold a few as well. I like it enough to have around in the collection and switch to here and there, but I know I do prefer PE. I don't dislike it, I just find PE easier to use. I have a real problem with tape gunk and material getting clogged in the serrations when I use an SE knife at work (which is probably 90% of the time I use a knife) The other being when I'm doing landscaping/lawn care, which I HIGHLY PREFER SE. I've been very impressed with how easily it can cut through branches.

My neighbor came over to chat while I was cutting things back last fall, he said "wouldn't some pruning shears be easier to use than a knife?" I said, "maybe, but this works pretty well" as I gave a handful of a plant I was trimming at the base a pull cut with the Matriarch and it easily sliced through everything and he said "geeez, I guess so" SE definitely has it's place with me, just not my top preference.

I know I should just take the time to use my CBN stones and round of the serrations on my Wharnie Delica, I just haven't been motivated enough to do so.

Bet if I won David's knife in that giveaway I'd have a different perspective

[Evil D]

On the "getting old" thing, all I see are the same OLD arguments and misinformation being spread over and over. The clergy are only giving back what we've been forced to hear for decades lol.

[Doc Dan]

Should be pinned.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=84985

YES! This needs to be pinned.

[JRinFL]

...

Bet if I won David's knife in that giveaway I'd have a different perspective

David's profile is how they should come from the factory. Even Sal implies the factory profile is not ideal, so why does it continue?

Also, one of the main benefits to SE is the very thin edge vs PE. So why don't the PE get a comparably thin edge as well?

[SG89]

Also, one of the main benefits to SE is the very thin edge vs PE. So why don't the PE get a comparably thin edge as well?

Fear of broken-off serrations maybe? I had a serrated SAK blade and it was very easy to break off the serrations. Idk if that was heat treat or because it was so thin.

[PeaceInOurTime]

(snark/rant alert; all who might be triggered, please set your safety now :) ) ...

If I may, I think a reason why the proponents of SE are so outspoken on this forum is because every other forum and social media source is basically anti-SE. Most people haven't even given it a chance and never will. PE fans have the entire internet to be pro-PE (including here). I don't even try to talk about SE on bladeforums.

SE fans on this forum are just trying to help people discover the benefits of good serrations. No one says you have to like SE, it cuts differently than PE and that can be a big turn off for some. The fact is, there is alot of misinformation about SE and this forum is a great place to "set the record straight".

While I have a hard time imagining going back to primarily carrying PE, I do still like it and carry it occasionally. Sometimes I prefer the way it cuts in certain situations, but IME, the overall performance of SE is why it's my main carry.

I apologize if I have ever "pushed" SE on anyone here. Everyone's experience and situations are different and valid.

[dlum1]

Simple physics says that when comparing 2 knives of of the same blade length and of equal sharpness, the SE will cut more aggressively and longer. There's more pressure at the edge on a SE because pressure = Force / Area. In 1D, we can say Force/(edge contact). A PE blade will distribute the force across the entire edge while the SE will focus the pressure at the serration tips. Additionally, the behind-the-edge thickness is typically lower on SE than PE with Spyderco's serrations. There's also more cutting edge on a SE compared the PE (due to the curvature of the scallops), so it will take more material before the edge is equally dull. I have only 3 reasons I have for disliking a serrated edge. 1) Try and shave an out-of-place hair on your face with a SE and you'll like end up in the hospital. 2) The way the serrations are cut on spyderco's SE means a straight cut tends to steer sideways. This can be frustrating at times. 3.) Sharpening stone wear. Most wear occurs at the corner of your sharpening stone. For that reason, I like SE in lc200n and h1. However, I'm a bit worried I'd wear out my sharpening stones quickly if I tried SE K390. Still on the fence about whether or not to try SE K390 until I learn it won't wear out my sharpmaker stones. Also, I tend to think of my PE3 K390 as being already serrated, but on a microscopic level.

[JRinFL]

I feel I must be clear that I am not opposed to serrations, but in their current form from the factory, they will always be second to PE except for certain applications, for me. David's profile (and others, of course) would be a better out of the box experience for those new to serrations on their EDC knives if the factory chose to do so.

[JMM]

Two things.

1. Everyone who raves about SE does so with the caveat that you need to tune it up on a Sharpmaker to round off the points on the serrations and make it a bit more of a scalloped edge.

2. I did the same thing you did, and thought the same thing. I think the D'fly isn't a good knife for SE, or maybe not a good first knife for SE. I bit the bullet and got a Native 5 Salt SE shortly after getting the DF2 Salt SE. The bigger handle and grip area on the N5 made all the difference for me. That's with rounding the points off on both on a Sharpmaker.

i was going to say the same thing, but small blades really benefit from the extra edge they get from serrations. i still think that longer blades with more teeth are better though.

I believe that about the stock salt dfly, but I'm here to tell you the SE Hawkbill dfly is a wonder to behold, I did a blade swap with my G10 dfly and it's one of the most useful, kick butt SE EDC I have in any blade size. Behold the wee beastie...