More Serrated Advice needed...

[jezabel]

Hi All,
I having trouble deciding on which serrated knife to get next. The only SE knife I have used so far is my Native beater, which at the end of day I find the blade to small for a lot of my uses.
I've sorta narrowed my selection down to E4W, E4 ZDP189, Pacific Salt & the Military.
Ease of carry, weight, concealment and color are of NO real concern. At the end of day I'd like a workhorse knife that can be used in those on the spot "cut through anything" situations.
A knife that's easy to clean would be nice but not essential. I like blade steels with good edge retention, and also prefer a blade shape with some belly and an overall blade length between 3.5- 4 inches. Am I asking too much??

Anyway I've read interesting things on the forum about the E4W serrations, would be good to hear some more. Is there any preferred steel with serrations? It Would be good to hear some feedback from other SE users on the H1 and ZDP189. Knowing me I'm more than likely to pick the knife with the best steel for the job...

Let me know if you think of any other models I should be looking at.

Jez

[bk400]

Of your choices, I would go with the Military SE in S30V. Easiest of the ones you list to clean, and the full flat grind and the serrations make it the best cutter, IMO.

[wescobts]

Bk400 is probably right, but there is a huge cost, maybe the Endura would serve you well, and with the money saved buy another knife you fancy.

[spydutch]

Since I have a few :rolleyes: serrated Spydies myself I hope I can be of any help :)

If I were you I would spend the extra cash and go for the S30V Military/SE. S30V serrations tend to be a little less spikey/ more rounded than the ones of VG10/H1. They are less likely to snag.

Had a ZDP Delica/SE myself and I found the scallops chip rather easy

Furthermore the serrated Millie carries comfortable despite it's size. Just don't wave it around NKP's. The Millie fights for pocket space with my Para/SE. Millie often wins because the Para rides even higher and reminds me too much sometimes that I need to lose a few pounds :rolleyes: :eek:

Hope this helps a bit :o

[DMgangl]

I don't own a Millie so I can't give an opinion on it. My 2 main carry knives that aren't hawkbills are E4 and Police 3 both serrated. I will say that the FFG blade makes it easier to cut through heavy materials. And you do notice that extra few millimeters when you need it. I normally carry my E4 SE at work and my Police 3 SE when I am out during the day.

Of the 2 you mentioned the I would say the Millie, it has a big following here and a FFG cuts great. I hate to through a wrench in your engine but look at the Police 3 also. I love this knife and it has everything your looking for, but so do a lot of :spyder: .

[JBE]

I would almost second the recommendation for the Police 3 as well, but it lacks the "belly" of some of the other knives you have mentioned.

The Military is a great knife, but for some reason this is one of the few Spyderco's that I prefer only in plain edge.

Personally out of the one's you have listed, I like the SE Pacific Salt the most given the qualities you are looking for. H1 steel really shines in the serrated form.

[mark greenman]

Well, I'm a staunch advocate of the E4WSE. The serrations are wider and shallower, making for more contact with the cutting edge and less with the spikes, resulting in the smoothest cutting SE pattern I've used- especialy when cutting through cloth. If your looking for "on the spot" cutting situations, its very hard to beat the speed of the wave feature as well. Its also very fun to play with! This would be the most logical jump from the Native IMO, and you will see a dramatic increase in smoothness compared to the Native, which is quite spikey.

I love my millie, but IMO its best suited to PE/CE configuration, for use on plastics, cardboard, and wood.

I think you'll be very pleased w/ the E4W-SE

-mark

[jezabel]

Thanks guys, looks like I'll rule out the ZDP 189 this time round. I'll probably go end up going with the Millie as i do prefer the FFG. If I cant find one for a reasonable price then I'll have to decide between the E4W and the Pacific Salt. I really like what I've heard so far about the E4W's serrations, I find those sort of serrations very useful on CE blades... then I've been wanting an H1 blade too...

Jez

[SimpleIsGood229]

Since you favor a FFG, I say go for the Millie. If the E4W came FFG'd, I'd suggest it over the Millie.

As a CE E4W user, I must say that I really love the E4W serratons. Since they're more ''open,'' I find them easier to sharpen.