Serrata use?

[rev_jch]

Hi, I was wondering for anyone who has actually used (not just own or owned) a Serrata what your experience is like (such as camping, using it on wood, etc.)?

[Manixguy@1994]

I would like to hear comments myself from users of this fixed blade . . MG2

[VooDooChild]

I havent used mine yet since I havent been able to go camping.

But I can say the handle and ergos are amazing!

[archangel]

Ergos are amazing indeed. So far I've used it only in the kitchen. Cuts like a beast. Not so good for thin slices, obviously. But meat and stuff like that is perfect food.

[yablanowitz]

Not sure any of my experience would be helpful since mine has been modified. I had to grind in a finger choil to make room for my hand and I thinned out the blade quite a bit. I haven't been camping in many years (other than Seconds Sales) so all I've done is a bit of aimless whittling.

[Manixguy@1994]

Not sure any of my experience would be helpful since mine has been modified. I had to grind in a finger choil to make room for my hand and I thinned out the blade quite a bit. I haven't been camping in many years (other than Seconds Sales) so all I've done is a bit of aimless whittling.

I really like your modification . When looking at the knife that is exactly what I thought was missing . Thank you , great pictures . MG2

[rev_jch]

Great! So, what kind of aimless whittling have you done, how does it cut?

[yablanowitz]

Mostly making short sticks out of long sticks. It cuts well, and the edge stands up very nicely, but I've been using 440C for a very long time, and I like it. I don't know if it will last longer than other 440C, but it seems that it might. But remember, mine is about half as thick behind the edge since I thinned it down.

[rev_jch]

Great, ty. That is helpful. How much did you end up thinning it out (and was it the full width of the blade or just partially)?

[yablanowitz]

Not quite the full height, the spine is still pretty close to original thickness. It was a factory second and had the Spyderbug ground off on a coarse belt. Not being any kind of grinder wiz (and working on a cheap Harbor Freight 1" belt sander not intended for metal) I cleaned that up as best I could and continued on until it felt more like a knife than a splitting wedge in my hands. At a guess, I'd say I took off between a fourth and a third of the thickness, and it is quite a bit flatter than it was.

[rev_jch]

Sounds like a mistake from manufacturing helped put it in a more useable state.

[skeeg11]

Not quite the full height, the spine is still pretty close to original thickness. It was a factory second and had the Spyderbug ground off on a coarse belt. Not being any kind of grinder wiz (and working on a cheap Harbor Freight 1" belt sander not intended for metal) I cleaned that up as best I could and continued on until it felt more like a knife than a splitting wedge in my hands. At a guess, I'd say I took off between a fourth and a third of the thickness, and it is quite a bit flatter than it was.

I can kinda understand the blade thickness using dendritic 440C in an outdoor fixed blade as I suspect its impact resistance is not exactly stellar.

That being said, I completely agree with your decision for a thinner regrind and I think David Boye would too.

Many moons ago I visited Francine's engraving studio which was David Boye's primary outlet. I purchased a 10" Chef's custom by Smith out of Escondido, CA. He was one of the few authorized to use David's dendritic steel at the time. After using it for awhile, I felt it was way too thick for a Chef's knife. David Boye was hosting an event at Francine's one weekend and I couldn't make it so I sent it up there with my brother to voice my concerns. My brother overheard David mumble something like, I told him................" In any event David reground, re-etched and signed it at no charge.

In the kitchen, this knife edge is grabby and excels going through silver skin, gristle and proteins.

[Stuart Ackerman]

My Serratas have 5mm spines and very thin edges, but the makers battled to replicate my grind.

The thicker versions are what you folks see in the Spyderco collab.

If I could afford to do it, i would buy up all the unsold Serrata seconds and regrind the profiles my way...and sell them on...

[rev_jch]

So, Stuart, what exactly did you design the serrata to be? A general knife for camping bushcraft, outdoors, or just a general knife that can do a little of common tasks?

[Stuart Ackerman]

After reading about David Boye and his Dendritic Steel knives, I wanted an aggressive toothy edge in my knives.
After a lot of investigation, I designed a knife which looked nothing like the Serrata, and made it from N690.
Testing in the outdoors, batonning and cutting anything that was standing still, I made another knife, more ergonomic, which looked almost like the Serrata, and saved up to do an investment cast of a batch of 12 knives.

I made another blank to take a mold of, and did the deed.

I wanted a knife that could be used hard and hold a toothy edge, to be used in the kitchen, to quarter and skin any sort of animal and for fishing.
It is not a flexible blade, but you can almost fillet a barracuda neatly enough if you are careful.

I have made smaller versions, and narrower thickness blades and these are more suitable for for kitchen use, and skinning deer and wild pigs.

I did warn against batoning, as one fella broke the tip off. He claimed he was heavy handed, and not the fault of the knife, BUT I did not want folks to have a a blade that might fail in a serious situation. Maybe I am too cautious, but I had to say something.

BTW, I have batoned Spyderco Serratas and my own lighter and thinner versions, and never had a break of any sort.

Another BTW... I always have a folding saw with me...

[rev_jch]

So, it sounds like it can do a little bit of everything and baton, but wisely (not thick or hard knotted wood).

[Bemo]

Hmmm, I'll be watching the sales when they happen.

[Matt Deaner]

I got one when they first came out (mine has a collector's number). Haven't used it a lot but did use it to partially skin and process a couple deer. I like the dendritic 440c. It holds up very nicely for use on meat, silver skin, tendons etc. It really does run circles around vg-10 in that role.

The thing is the Serrata is sort of heavy and I got tired of using it both times I used it for processing. I kept reaching for my Bill Moran or Temperance 2. It's just so heavy it's "slow" to make the cuts I needed to make. Maybe it's something to do with the balance too. I am not sure. I wish the stock were thinner. Anoth issue I have is it's thick behind the edge. Like 0.035 inch if I remember correctly.

The handle is well contoured and feels great. I like the knife and am keeping it. But it's an odd duck.

[Stuart Ackerman]

My ones are 0.2mm behind the edge, on average...

[yowzer]

I've used mine for campsite wood processing - making kindling and tinder from bigger pieces of wood when starting a campfire, carving tent stakes, etc. and food prep. Works great; cuts better than a thick heavy blade like it is really should. Love the thing. Probably my favorite Spyderco fixed blade.

(And I still want a tool steel version that can *really* be pounded on. Not that there's anything wrong with 440C, but Cruwear or 3V or, heck, even good old A2 or O1... mmm.)