serrated cutting surfaces (broadheads & knives)

[vortex]

[quote="And for the record: These blades are NOT prohibited in ON....they used to be, but we had it changed.IAC

[quote="I didnt know that. It must have been in the last year or two?

I didn't know that either, so I looked it up. 08 regulations state, quote "...bolts must have a 22 mm (0.87 in) wide bolt head with at least two cutting edges that are sharp, unserrated, barbless, straight and made of steel". But the 09 regulations state, quote "...bolts must have a 22 mm (0.87 in) wide bolt head with at least two sharp cutting edges".
That's why this site is so great. There is always new information and I learn something new every day!!!!

[TPM]

I don't know about serrated broadheads but, being a bit of a knife weenie most of my life, I have tried several serrated knives. The first one I had was a Cutco hunting knife. It was one of those orange rubber handled drop points with a fully serrated edge. I had a family member selling Cutco at the time so I thought I'd try one out. I used this knife to field dress, skin and help butcher several deer and two moose at a hunt camp I was with that season. I was amazed at how well that thing cut and at how long it kept an edge. The only time I'd say it was inferior to a straight edge was for skinning as the serrations tended to clog up with fat, especially in cold weather. I had to keep a bucket of hot water handy to occasionally clean the fat off. For field dressing and butchering the knife performed as well as or better than any straight edge I've ever used. The biggest downfall was that eventually the edge did need a bit or work and the only way to bring it back was to send it back to Cutco. I ended up taking the serrations off and it now serves as a back-up knife.
I also bought a Spyderco Endura folding knife years ago with a fully serated blade to go as a companion with my Spyderco Delica straight edge (I'm a huge Spyderco fan). This knife is unbelievable. For slicing things such as rope nothing compares. I used to lend this knife ot our EHS manager at work to cut up de-commissioned rigging straps. No straight edge we ever tried even came close to performing like the serrated Spyderco for that job.
Another one I have is a Gerber Shorty river knife. This blunt tipped, serrated blade knife is clipped to my life jacket. It's sole purpose is the cut rope, straps or clothing should an emergency arise while canoeing. Thankfully I've never had it use it for it's intended purpose but i have tested it on seatbelt material and different types of rope. In every case, one slice and you're through.
I think serrated knives do perform well for their intended purposes and often out perform straight edges for slicing things like ropes and straps. If you've never used one I'd say pick one up and give it a try. You might be surprised, I know I was.

[dick195252]

At the YOUNG age of 57 I am a creature of habit, but i might just pick up a half serrated edge knife and give it a try now after reading this post. But i will stay with my Wasp HAMMER-SSI Fixed blade broadheads till they let me down {Creature of Habit}

[Pydpiper]

I am sure there was a day when serration translated in to a jagged cut, but not anymore. I have knives/scissors that are not only serrated but they can cut through material that a straight edge can't it also leaves a smoother edge than most straight edges.

[Pydpiper]

If you want to learn about sharp instruments study surgical equipment.

You won't find a surgeon using a serrated scalpel.

If I ever decide to become a surgeon I will indeed study surgical instruments. In the meantime, while I am at work, in the woods, around the yard, I will deal with the realities of my life, cutting rope or twine, cutting the tips off caulking tubes, widdling around the fire..
A surgical scalpel is designed to promote fast healing with a delicate touch, not exactly what I am after, but I can only assume my needs are different than others.
Sharp is good, I insist on a sharp knife. My EDC is used a dozen or so times a day, 80% of those times I go past the straight edge on the blade and go straight for the serrations, faster, just as smooth of a cut (unless you are removing a kidney), and stays sharp far longer than a straight edge.
A straight edge is more consistent for delicate work, but I am humbled to say very few things in my life require me to be using delicate cutting instruments. I am a hack and chop kind of guy.
Meat preparation is probably the only thing that I can see a benefit of a straight edge, a sharp straight edge. If I want to preserve the meat (cleaning fish, processing game..) I will chose a good sharp straight edge, but to consume it you would be hard pressed to find a quality steak knife without serrations, for a good reason I am sure. If my only goal is the removal of material then I go to the better tool for the job, a quality serrated blade.

Serrations come in many flavors, the ones on my EDC are huge, and do resemble a saw blade, it will eat through 1/2" rope effortlessly, it is about as far from delicate as a guy can get. Sharp? immensely. If your life depended on getting through a rope it would get the job done, if you you were planning an emergency circumcision, you may want to find a different tool. The chances of my needing to cut a rope exceed the alternative.
Our spam knives are quality knives, they too have serrations, tiny, and in some cases almost microscopic, but they are present. There are benefits to both edges, if you want the flesh to heal, surgical straight edge all the way, if your only goal is to make two things out of one, serrations is the answer.
Broadheads? I sure don't know, I would have to see the flesh wound of a current serrated broadhead compared to a straight edge to be definitive, but from my experience with blades I can see no problems with serrations. I do know that if I were to cut myself accidentally with a blade, I would much rather it be sharp and straight, and for good reason.

Google "serrated surgical scalpel", you will be surprised at the results.

[IAMCANADIAN]

In it's most basic element, what it comes down to is this:

Straight edges cut cleaner, serrated edges cut better.

I don't know about you guys, but I want my BH's to cut better, I have little concern about how clean it cuts. I'll save the "clean" cuts for when I'm processing

At the end of the day, what's going to cause more hemmorging (the process that we depend on to kill deer with our bows), a 1" cutting edge or a 1 3/4" cutting edge? And to be honest, a rougher cut is preferable to a clean cut when you don't want the bleeding to stop. Clean cuts always heal faster..that's why the scalpel example is a bad one....the surgeon WANTS quick healing and minimal scarring, that's why a fine blade is used. Now if that surgeons goal was to have you bleed out on the table, he would choose a different instrument. I don't know about you, but when it comes to deer, I'd prefer the bleed out option

A serrated broadhead would give you the advantage of having a longer blade, without the disadvantage of more weight/blade surface area....I've been up and down this thing 6 ways from Sunday, and I can't find a single reason NOT to serrate a BH blade.

YMMV of course, this is just my .02, and it's worth exactly what you paid for it

IAC

[awshucks]

I'm a non serrated type. I have a bow saw or limb saw for that stuff, battery sawzall for really tough stuff. Carry a chain saw and machete on the 4 whlr.

I'm a knife freak, only carry what I've found to be high quality edge holding stuff like Puma's ect. I don't let them get more than a tad dull and easily resharpen them to a razor edge.

Rope and caulking tubes shudder at the sight of me, lol.

I don't view the serrated edges as easily sharpenable in my preferred manor.

Another point, I've found the partially serrated blades too short for a proper sawing motion length of stroke.

To each his own, I guess.

[Michael Stogre]

I can't let this pass. You want something to bleed out use a sharp knife
or razor sharp broadhead. In surgery we cauterize all the time and
suture to close the wound. Cut yourself shaving with a fresh razor and
recall how long it took you to stanch the bleeding.

Having almost bled to death myself from being cut with many sharp pieces of glass and a knife I empathize with the deer we shoot.
If the rules are really changed in Ontario it sounds like you would need
a four blade head with two "bleeder blades."

[TPM]

Excellent post Pyd. For those who are happy with their straight edged knives, great, continue enjoying them. For those who want to try something a bit different, by all means, try a serrated knife. They are not the be-all and end-all of knives but they do cut well, very well in fact and as I mentioned earlier my personal experience has shown that in some applications they exceed the performance of a straight edge.

[Big58cal]

I don't care for serrated blades. I've tried them, but can't seem to like them, but that's just me.

I believe there's some flawed thinking on here as it relates to serrated broadheads and cutting. I'm not going to dispute that a serrated broadhead will have more of a cutting edge surface. My question is what difference is it going to make? If the back edge of your broadhead is 1" wide in diameter, they you're going to make a 1" diameter hole, regardless if it's a straight edge or serrated edge making the hole.

Another thing that you have to consider is that it doesn't matter what it is, you put a hole through both lungs on a deer, the critter is going down. But what about a non-lethal hit? Like it or not, we all have done it at some time or another (or will do it eventually). In the event of a non-lethal hit, you want a wound that is going to heal quickly. From what everyone has said so far, this would mean that you would want a sharp straight edge cut, not a serrated edge blade cut. If it's going to take longer for the area to heal, then there's more of a possibility of infection and the animal dying miles and days away.

Just something to think about.

[Boo]

Sounds like a six of one deal here. A serrated edge hacks better through tough stuff like sinew as well. I clogs with hair and connective tissue(if you've used a serrated knife much you have to wipe that white stuff off sometimes). The serrated knife causes tissue trauma which causes more clotting. Fine edges dull quickly and also bend over.
I do believe that some continuous edges are indeed serrated. When sharpening I use a coarse diamond and then finish the edge right after by polishing with either a compound on leather or a fine diamond edge. Examination of the edge will show a micro saw edge.
Interesting discussion none the less!

[bbbwb]

I maybe showing my age but I am not a fan of the serrated knife. I have 2 "pocket knives which have the partial serrated and straight portions on the blades. For the general purpose of a knife, I prefer the straight edge. There are very few if any occasions that I have to cut through the different materials that have been mentioned that serrated blades seem preferred. I have also a folding single lock blade that I purchased for tree climbing emergency. The sole purpose was stated that this blade would cut through rope, nylon webbing and harness material in superior fashion over a straight blade. Thankfully, I never had to use it but in trying it in the usual applications of my hunting have found it non preferred.
As has been stated by "Big58cal" a 1 inch cut by a broadhead through tissue be it made with straight or serrated is still a 1 inch cut. Length of cutting edge surface is not part of the equation - it is the total width of the opening that is still 1 inch.
Not wanting to start another topic of discussion but this has some similarity to the poundage of a xbow. If a 165 lb. xbow puts the arrow through the deer vitals why is it necessary to have a 225 lb xbow to put the arrow through the vitals in 1/---- of a second faster? The end result is the arrow went through the deer vitals and the job of killing was achieved.
So from my perspective, the use of a straight edge versus a serrated edge lies entirely with the personal application in use and personal preference.
Isn't it great that we do not all think alike for the manufacturing industry or there would be a monopoly held by the one who first discovered and marketed an item.
This has been a good topic and I have enjoyed the input made by all. Keep up the good discussion, it is healthy.

bbbwb

[sumner4991]

I find a good quality knife(material and craftsmanship) is a good knife. Otherwise, it doesn't matter what kind of edge you put on it.

I perfer the straight, all other things being equal, because, I just don't have much need for the serrated edge.

I have enough trouble sharpening the straight blades.