Best Serrated OTF Knives: Partially Serrated Out-the-Front Blades Ranked

By Best OTF Knives Editors. Updated September 12, 2026. Every pick was in stock at the listed price when this was updated.

Thirty-six OTF knives in stock have a partially serrated edge: a run of serrations near the handle with a plain edge toward the tip. Serrations tear through rope, strapping, seatbelt webbing and cardboard faster than a plain edge and are harder to sharpen. This ranks the serrated knives by orders and says when to choose one. Everything is on the OTF knives collection.

Quick comparison

How we ranked these

Every product on bestotfknives.com carries a 30-day order score recalculated daily from real orders across our store network. The picks below are the in-stock items with the highest score on the day of the last update, in that order, and each one is checked against its listed specifications. This is not a hands-on torture test and nothing here is sponsored; it is what buyers chose with their own money, explained.

The best serrated OTF knives

1. Shadow Ridge Tactical Response OTF Knife - G10 Black

A 4-inch serrated tanto on a 9.75-inch G10-style frame, about $48. The best-selling serrated knife.

The American tanto has a straight main edge and an angled secondary edge meeting at a reinforced point. It resists tip damage and suits push cuts and scraping; it is not a slicing shape.

G10-style laminate handles are the grippiest in the range and hold up to hard use; they are usually found on the tactical models.

At 4-inch blade, 9.75 inches overall, 4.64 ounces it sits in the full-size class, which makes it the full-grip class: a bag or belt knife rather than a pocket knife.

The edge is partially serrated near the handle. Serrations chew through rope and strapping and are harder to sharpen; buy plain edge if you maintain your own knives.

Best for: bag or belt carry and hard use.

See current price and stock

2. Stars & Stripes Double-Action OTF Knife - Green Flag

A 9-inch double-action serrated dagger, green flag, about $40.

The mechanism is double action, so the blade returns on the same slide that fires it. For a knife that gets opened many times a day this is the convenient choice, at the cost of a marginally softer deployment than a single action.

The dagger profile is symmetrical, which is why it is the most common OTF blade: it tracks straight through the front opening. It is a push-cutting and point-work shape rather than a slicer.

Zinc alloy is the heavy, solid cast handle used across the $30 to $45 range. It adds weight in the hand and takes textured finishes well.

At 3.75-inch blade, 9 inches overall, 8.52 ounces it sits in the full-size class, which makes it the full-grip class: a bag or belt knife rather than a pocket knife.

Best for: bag or belt carry and hard use, anyone who opens the knife often.

See current price and stock

3. Geometric Strike Urban OTF Knife - Midnight Black

A 9-inch single-action serrated tanto in aluminum, about $37.

This one is single action. Fire on the switch, reset by hand. Buyers pick single actions for deployment feel and for designs that only come this way; it is the wrong choice if you fidget with the knife all day.

The American tanto has a straight main edge and an angled secondary edge meeting at a reinforced point. It resists tip damage and suits push cuts and scraping; it is not a slicing shape.

Aluminum keeps the weight down and takes anodized colors, which is why most of the themed and mini models use it.

At 3.5-inch blade, 9 inches overall, 7.9 ounces it sits in the full-size class, which makes it the full-grip class: a bag or belt knife rather than a pocket knife.

Best for: bag or belt carry and hard use.

See current price and stock

4. Shadowline Stonewash Serrated OTF Blade - Black Aluminum

A stonewashed serrated clip point, single action, about $37. The serrated knife that slices.

Single-action mechanism, which means a stronger deployment and a manual reset. Grip the blade by the spine and flat, never the edge, and pull it straight back; angling it is what makes single actions bind.

The clip point takes a section out of the spine near the tip for a finer point, with enough belly to slice. It is one of the few OTF shapes that cuts like an ordinary pocket knife.

Aluminum keeps the weight down and takes anodized colors, which is why most of the themed and mini models use it.

The edge is partially serrated near the handle. Serrations chew through rope and strapping and are harder to sharpen; buy plain edge if you maintain your own knives.

See current price and stock

5. Stars & Stripes Rapid-Deploy OTF Knife - Gray Aluminum

A 9-inch double-action serrated dagger in gray aluminum, about $40.

The mechanism is double action, so the blade returns on the same slide that fires it. For a knife that gets opened many times a day this is the convenient choice, at the cost of a marginally softer deployment than a single action.

The dagger profile is symmetrical, which is why it is the most common OTF blade: it tracks straight through the front opening. It is a push-cutting and point-work shape rather than a slicer.

Aluminum keeps the weight down and takes anodized colors, which is why most of the themed and mini models use it.

At 3.75-inch blade, 9 inches overall, 8.52 ounces it sits in the full-size class, which makes it the full-grip class: a bag or belt knife rather than a pocket knife.

Best for: bag or belt carry and hard use, anyone who opens the knife often.

See current price and stock

6. Stars & Stripes Rapid-Slide OTF Knife - Satin Tanto

A 9.5-inch serrated satin tanto, single action, about $37.

Single-action mechanism, which means a stronger deployment and a manual reset. Grip the blade by the spine and flat, never the edge, and pull it straight back; angling it is what makes single actions bind.

The American tanto has a straight main edge and an angled secondary edge meeting at a reinforced point. It resists tip damage and suits push cuts and scraping; it is not a slicing shape.

Aluminum keeps the weight down and takes anodized colors, which is why most of the themed and mini models use it.

At 3.75-inch blade, 9.5 inches overall, 9.1 ounces it sits in the full-size class, which makes it the full-grip class: a bag or belt knife rather than a pocket knife.

Best for: bag or belt carry and hard use.

See current price and stock

7. Geometric Quick-Strike OTF Tactical Knife - Coyote Aluminum

The coyote version of the 9-inch serrated tanto, about $37.

This one is single action. Fire on the switch, reset by hand. Buyers pick single actions for deployment feel and for designs that only come this way; it is the wrong choice if you fidget with the knife all day.

The American tanto has a straight main edge and an angled secondary edge meeting at a reinforced point. It resists tip damage and suits push cuts and scraping; it is not a slicing shape.

Aluminum keeps the weight down and takes anodized colors, which is why most of the themed and mini models use it.

At 3.5-inch blade, 9 inches overall, 7.9 ounces it sits in the full-size class, which makes it the full-grip class: a bag or belt knife rather than a pocket knife.

Best for: bag or belt carry and hard use.

See current price and stock

8. ShadowFlare Rapid-Deploy Tactical OTF Tanto - Black ABS

A 9-inch double-action serrated tanto with an ABS handle, about $18. The budget serrated pick.

The mechanism is double action, so the blade returns on the same slide that fires it. For a knife that gets opened many times a day this is the convenient choice, at the cost of a marginally softer deployment than a single action.

The American tanto has a straight main edge and an angled secondary edge meeting at a reinforced point. It resists tip damage and suits push cuts and scraping; it is not a slicing shape.

The handle is ABS plastic, which is how a full-size knife reaches this price. Plastic flexes, and flex is where misfires start, so keep the screws tight and treat it as a light-duty knife.

At 3.5-inch blade, 9 inches overall it sits in the full-size class, which makes it the full-grip class: a bag or belt knife rather than a pocket knife.

Best for: bag or belt carry and hard use, anyone who opens the knife often, a first purchase or a spare.

See current price and stock

9. Patriot Reaper Quick-Deploy OTF Knife - USA Flag

A 9-inch serrated tanto with a skull-and-flag graphic, ABS, about $19.

The American tanto has a straight main edge and an angled secondary edge meeting at a reinforced point. It resists tip damage and suits push cuts and scraping; it is not a slicing shape.

The handle is ABS plastic, which is how a full-size knife reaches this price. Plastic flexes, and flex is where misfires start, so keep the screws tight and treat it as a light-duty knife.

At 3.5-inch blade, 9 inches overall it sits in the full-size class, which makes it the full-grip class: a bag or belt knife rather than a pocket knife.

The edge is partially serrated near the handle. Serrations chew through rope and strapping and are harder to sharpen; buy plain edge if you maintain your own knives.

Best for: bag or belt carry and hard use, a first purchase or a spare.

See current price and stock

10. Stealth Carbon Fusion OTF Knuckle Knife - Two-Tone Dagger

A 4.25-inch serrated dagger on a 10-inch knuckle-guard frame, about $53.

The dagger profile is symmetrical, which is why it is the most common OTF blade: it tracks straight through the front opening. It is a push-cutting and point-work shape rather than a slicer.

Zinc alloy is the heavy, solid cast handle used across the $30 to $45 range. It adds weight in the hand and takes textured finishes well.

At 4.25-inch blade, 10 inches overall it sits in the XL class, which makes it a display and collection size; the blade length puts it outside most carry thresholds.

The edge is partially serrated near the handle. Serrations chew through rope and strapping and are harder to sharpen; buy plain edge if you maintain your own knives.

Best for: display and collection.

See current price and stock

When serrations help and when they hurt

They help on fibrous material: rope, webbing, thick cardboard, zip ties. They hurt on clean slicing, on anything you want a smooth cut through, and at sharpening time, because each serration is a small edge that needs a tapered rod rather than a flat stone. If you cut boxes and cord, serrated earns its place; if you want a knife you can maintain in two minutes on a stone, buy plain.

Sharpening a partially serrated OTF

Sharpen the plain section as normal. For the serrations, use a tapered ceramic or diamond rod, matching the rod diameter to the scallop, and work only the beveled side; a few strokes per scallop, then a single light pass on the flat side to remove the burr.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best serrated OTF knife?

The Shadow Ridge by orders; for a budget serrated knife, the Shadowflare at about $18.

Are serrated OTF knives better?

Better for rope and strapping, worse for clean slicing and maintenance. It is a use question, not a quality one.

Can you sharpen a serrated OTF blade?

Yes, with a tapered rod, one scallop at a time. It is slower than a plain edge.

Prices are the bestotfknives.com prices at the time of writing and change with stock. Automatic-knife rules differ by jurisdiction; before ordering, read the state-by-state automatic knife guide and check your local rules.