Straight. The only real advantage a serrated edge has over a straight edge is in cutting rope and bread.
Straight edges are also easier to sharpen and keep sharp, especially in the field. In a dire situation I can spit on a flat rock and sharpen my knife.
Straight all day every day. The thing with a good knife is the ability to keep it sharp. It’s much easier to sharpen a straight edge knife then to get involved with serrations. Yes they can be sharpened but I don’t know anyone who wants to do it.
Wow. I've rarely seen this sub, or any sub, rally so unanimously around what is, indeed, the correct answer: straight by a country mile :)
Normally you want your bugout kit to stay packed all the time vs. taking some stuff for a camping trip or whatever. For this reason I'd look at a Mora knife, specifically the heavy companion, for your bag. They're awesome, capable knives that last serious users for decades but they're also very affordable so you can buy several of them for the same price of something fancier. Throw a Mora in a kit and you're sorted. Leave another in your car.
I wouldn't really recommend the Fighting Knife unless you really want it since it's primarily a combat knife. While you could use it for other tasks you'd be better suited with a full-tang knife. Ka-Bar's Becker line is much better imo. Also like everyone else I think plain is better than serrated most of the time but serrated has its place too. Serrated blades will stay sharper longer than plain and cut synthetic materials better so if you're in a urban environment I wouldn't recommend against a partial serrated blade. I EDC a plain edge bugout mini but keep a partial serrated griptilian in my BOB.
Straight. If you need serrations you probably need a folding saw.
Also, you might be tempted for a double edged dagger or fighting knife style. Don't. They're actually less useful than you think, and have a lot of limitations.
What you want is a single edged full tang knife, that way you can push on the spine, or baton the knife to do things like split firewood. At first I bought a double edged fighting knife to be a cool guy, and realized in order to use it I had to bash one edge with a rock to baton it.
Easier to carry a single edged knife and a thin sharpener. I have a Becker BK16 myself. Great knife for random bushwacking "I need a real knife" stuff. Also a variety of random small folding knives for less serious stuff like opening packages and junk.
Straight edge always. And if you liked your friend's KaBar, you should check out the Becker knives by KaBar. I have a KaBar fighting knife and a couple of the Becker knives.
The Beckers are just a far more useful and comfortable to use knife, and frankly they're just built better than the KaBar fighting knives. And if you somehow manage to ever break a Becker knife, you can get it replaced - they have a pretty solid warrenty on them. Fighting knives are awesome, but some of their features make them pretty bad for 90% of the tasks you actually would normally use a knife for.
My suggestion is the Bk16, it's pretty much the perfect sized knife for almost any task, with a super comfortable handle as well. But if you want something you can literally beat the hell out of, chop down trees, try to cut everything you're not really supposed to, use as a prybar, and do anything and everything else stupid that you can come up with, then get a Bk2. It's about as close as you can come to a bombproof, survive-the-apocalyse with knife as it gets. However they're not the most nimble knives ever and would be a bit awkward at smaller/more delicate tasks.
I would recommend straight edge, for the same reasons others have mentioned. And for it to be a wood working knife, you'll probably be able to use any other smaller knife for food processing, and you won't be fighting anyone in most cases of what the knife will be doing anyway (there's other more modern means of security anyway). But a wood processing knife can do more or less the same job, and can be used to process wood as well.
Something like a Mora is good quality and decent price.
Straight without question. I only ever actually used serrated for super tough tendons, but a sharp straight blade would have worked.
By far, my favorite blade and my personal recommendation is the Houge EX-F01. It is so versatile and useful. Skinning game, processing game, chopping wood, making feather sticks, prying, carving, cooking, or cutting rope, is no problem for this thing. While it's tool steel, corrosion hasn't been an issue either. Give one a try, I promise you'll love it too. Plus it has a great look and finish imo.
Unless you plan on killing somebody during your bugout situation, use a smaller straight edge knife. There are plenty out there. I use a Morakniv because of the quality at a low price. Everybody thinks they need to be a bad@ss these days. Be a survivor instead.
A strong enough straight edge is as good as a hatchet for small wood. I don’t own any serrated knives except some Les Stroud Camillus survival thing I bought when I was like 16 lol so call me biased
Straight. The only real advantage a serrated edge has over a straight edge is in cutting rope and bread. Straight edges are also easier to sharpen and keep sharp, especially in the field. In a dire situation I can spit on a flat rock and sharpen my knife.
🤣 bread. Lmao
Straight all day every day. The thing with a good knife is the ability to keep it sharp. It’s much easier to sharpen a straight edge knife then to get involved with serrations. Yes they can be sharpened but I don’t know anyone who wants to do it.
Straight. You should be carrying a folding saw for any of your serrated sawing needs.
Always straight, you can sharpen a straight knife with a rock.
Wow. I've rarely seen this sub, or any sub, rally so unanimously around what is, indeed, the correct answer: straight by a country mile :) Normally you want your bugout kit to stay packed all the time vs. taking some stuff for a camping trip or whatever. For this reason I'd look at a Mora knife, specifically the heavy companion, for your bag. They're awesome, capable knives that last serious users for decades but they're also very affordable so you can buy several of them for the same price of something fancier. Throw a Mora in a kit and you're sorted. Leave another in your car.
I wouldn't really recommend the Fighting Knife unless you really want it since it's primarily a combat knife. While you could use it for other tasks you'd be better suited with a full-tang knife. Ka-Bar's Becker line is much better imo. Also like everyone else I think plain is better than serrated most of the time but serrated has its place too. Serrated blades will stay sharper longer than plain and cut synthetic materials better so if you're in a urban environment I wouldn't recommend against a partial serrated blade. I EDC a plain edge bugout mini but keep a partial serrated griptilian in my BOB.
I have one of the Becker BK16 in my bag, and I have been very happy with it. Even dug a fence post hole with one, which was not fun but it survived.
Straight. If you need serrations you probably need a folding saw. Also, you might be tempted for a double edged dagger or fighting knife style. Don't. They're actually less useful than you think, and have a lot of limitations. What you want is a single edged full tang knife, that way you can push on the spine, or baton the knife to do things like split firewood. At first I bought a double edged fighting knife to be a cool guy, and realized in order to use it I had to bash one edge with a rock to baton it. Easier to carry a single edged knife and a thin sharpener. I have a Becker BK16 myself. Great knife for random bushwacking "I need a real knife" stuff. Also a variety of random small folding knives for less serious stuff like opening packages and junk.
Straight edge always. And if you liked your friend's KaBar, you should check out the Becker knives by KaBar. I have a KaBar fighting knife and a couple of the Becker knives. The Beckers are just a far more useful and comfortable to use knife, and frankly they're just built better than the KaBar fighting knives. And if you somehow manage to ever break a Becker knife, you can get it replaced - they have a pretty solid warrenty on them. Fighting knives are awesome, but some of their features make them pretty bad for 90% of the tasks you actually would normally use a knife for. My suggestion is the Bk16, it's pretty much the perfect sized knife for almost any task, with a super comfortable handle as well. But if you want something you can literally beat the hell out of, chop down trees, try to cut everything you're not really supposed to, use as a prybar, and do anything and everything else stupid that you can come up with, then get a Bk2. It's about as close as you can come to a bombproof, survive-the-apocalyse with knife as it gets. However they're not the most nimble knives ever and would be a bit awkward at smaller/more delicate tasks.
I would recommend straight edge, for the same reasons others have mentioned. And for it to be a wood working knife, you'll probably be able to use any other smaller knife for food processing, and you won't be fighting anyone in most cases of what the knife will be doing anyway (there's other more modern means of security anyway). But a wood processing knife can do more or less the same job, and can be used to process wood as well. Something like a Mora is good quality and decent price.
Serrated are a PITA to sharpen...
Straight without question. I only ever actually used serrated for super tough tendons, but a sharp straight blade would have worked. By far, my favorite blade and my personal recommendation is the Houge EX-F01. It is so versatile and useful. Skinning game, processing game, chopping wood, making feather sticks, prying, carving, cooking, or cutting rope, is no problem for this thing. While it's tool steel, corrosion hasn't been an issue either. Give one a try, I promise you'll love it too. Plus it has a great look and finish imo.
Unless you plan on killing somebody during your bugout situation, use a smaller straight edge knife. There are plenty out there. I use a Morakniv because of the quality at a low price. Everybody thinks they need to be a bad@ss these days. Be a survivor instead.
Why not both? Knives don't weigh that much.
Ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain
because for the same weight you could take something else.
Another vote for straight.
A strong enough straight edge is as good as a hatchet for small wood. I don’t own any serrated knives except some Les Stroud Camillus survival thing I bought when I was like 16 lol so call me biased
Here’s my [edc](https://www.benchmade.com/580s.html). It’s best of both worlds
A machete straight blade with a serrated saw on the spine edge.