Combo Edges: Like or Hate?

[JD Spydo]

For a long time now I've heard several of my Forum Brothers & Sisters talk harshly abouit "combo edges". I've not only heard it here on Spyderco.com but on 2 other knife forums I belong to as well. Very few talk favorably of them even though they seem to sell well :confused:

Personally if I had my ultimate choice I would rather have a fully serrated or a full plain edged blade depending on what type of cutting chore I'm faced with. But I have nothing against combo edges because the very first premium knife I ever got was a combo edge and I still own that knife by the way. And I carry a combo edge occasionally with no problems.

So please tell me what you like or dislike about combo edges. If you absolutely hate them then please explain what the problem is. I thiink many of us would like to know.

[I_like_sharp_things]

Unless the blade is long enough there isn't enough usable serrated edge for some tasks. If the serrations cover too much of the blade there isn't enough plain edge. I'd much rather just have one or the other. Why buy one knife with two edges when you could just buy one of each also? :D

[gunnut35]

I am not a big fan of CE blades but I do own a few that get used. I end up buying CE blades when I find them on sale to give away as presents.

[jujigatame]

A combo edge never felt like enough of either type for me so I have no interest in them.

[ATV1116]

The combo edge IMO is good IF
it is on a larger knife. For example: a combo edge would be better on an Endura 4 rather than a Delica 4. For the amount of Spydie Edge that would be on the Delica 4 blade, it doesn't leave much room for the remaining straight edge.

[akaAK]

Combo edges work for my uses. If I carry two knives one will be plain edge and the other serrated or combo. That is if I am carrying two. If you look at knives like the Stretch 2, Endura, Millie the CE's give more than enough serrated and plain to handle most of my everyday tasks. I also find that when I am carrying one knife a CE Delica will handle anything I throw at it.

It would be nice to get a G10 Police or Para2 with a CE?

You are right that most on this forum don't appreciate CE's. The right tool for the job seems to apply and most feel that CE's are not enough of either to be the "right tool". CE's entail a compromise, if you can live with the compromise they are fantastic tools.

[gbelleh]

Before I really got into knives, I used to seek out combo edges, assuming they would be the most versatile. But, eventually I realized I rarely used the serrated part unless the plain edge was totally dull. Once I started getting into higher quality knives, I found serrations pretty much unnecessary for my purposes.

[Murdoc]

I've carried my black bladed CE Endura4 as EDC for a while and it was just great for what I was using it for. The SE part was great to start a cut for harder materials, and the PE part was more than enough to do the "finer" tasks.

Even the CE Stretch was great in that respect. In my personal opinion, these 2 knives are just the ideal "one for all tasks" EDC blades.

Granted, the sharpening process is a little bit trickier than PE, but honestly, 80% of the touching up was only for the PE part. The serrations just stayed sharp...

Dennis

[bd51]

I stick to plain or fully serrated. Combo edges are a compromise that doesn't usually work out.

[Onionman]

For the collector, I can see why combo edges are not popular as they do not look as nice in the case as the PE or SE. For the user, however, I find them to be more useful than either the PE or SE, especially in the yard. I do agree with the earlier comments that a CE is only useful when the blade is larger, at least 3.5 to 4 inches. I personally like the CE where the serrated edge only takes up about 1/3 of the blade, such as the benchmade knives with the CE. I would love to see a 1/3 spyderedge on a Spyderco military, police, or any other large spyderco fixed blade or folder.

[JD Spydo]

The combo edge IMO is good IF
it is on a larger knife. For example: a combo edge would be better on an Endura 4 rather than a Delica 4. For the amount of Spydie Edge that would be on the Delica 4 blade, it doesn't leave much room for the remaining straight edge.

That I can 100% agree with!! Because the combo edges that I personally like are on blades 4 inches or longer. The Endura combo edge is almost perfect.

Because the combo edge on the Delica simply doesn't give you the amount of plain edge you need.

[wingman_214]

Strongly dislike, there isn't enough Pe or Se. Most of the time the Se gets in the way.

[ac12]

I have an "off brand" CE and I echo what was mentioned, the PE/SE ratio has to be appropriate. Mine has 75% SE and that is too much for my general use. I don't have enough PE to use. A 50% would be good, but now that it was mentioned, a 33% SE sounds even better as I use the PE most of the time.

[Pro-V]

Great topic! I've also noticed the bad rap that CE's receive. Back in the day, when my first Spydie was a huge investment for me, the combo edge was the perfect balance of cutting capabilities. In my job as a receiving clerk, the plain edge handled the bulk of my tasks, primarily opening boxes, plastic bags, stretch wrap, etc. But occasionally, when I came across zip ties or plastic strapping, even that single inch of teeth really helped. It was a few years before I could pick up a second knife, but even then, I went with a CE Native 2. Nowadays, I do prefer a full PE with a backup SE, but there will always be a place in my heart for combo edges!

[Waco]

A CE would ruin my excuse for carrying two knives.

[BAL]

I used to carry combo knives, but it seems like you don't have enough of either to do the job. I used to build houses and you couldn't sharpen a pencil with the serrated part, and the plain edge was too far down to get a good pencil cut. Just my opinion. I prefer and always carry PE for SD and general use, but I also like to have a serrated edge blade on me. When I am browsing (or daydreaming) for another spyderco knife, It is a PE or SE, never a CE.

[Onionman]

A CE would ruin my excuse for carrying two knives.

One could argue that it gives you an excuse to carry three knives.

[yablanowitz]

There is a reason I still have a C44 Dyad in my right front pocket.

If I ever really used a combo edge with "left-handed" serrations (i.e. scallops ground on the right side of the blade, like the AUS-8 SpydeRench) I might feel differently. As it is, most CE blades simply conflict with my lifetime blade use habits. Grab a stick and your knife and start whittling a point on the stick. What part of the blade do you use? When I do that, I use the area that is devoted to serrations on a CE blade. Those serrations are usually ground on the left side of the blade, so for right-handed me, either the chisel grind slides across the wood without cutting, or the points dig in causing the blade to twist into the cut. I find that annoying as all get out.

[.357 mag]

I prefer to carry 2 knives. My 79mm rescue is always with me and some sort of PE blade. Today is the mighty dragonfly salt.

[ATV1116]

That I can 100% agree with!! Because the combo edges that I personally like are on blades 4 inches or longer. The Endura combo edge is almost perfect.

Because the combo edge on the Delica simply doesn't give you the amount of plain edge you need.

As they say... great minds think alike. LOL... Seriously though, that's just my opinion. To each their own... I agree with everyone else; this is a GREAT topic!!