Serrated Knife Sharpening

Serrated knife edges come in several shapes and sizes. The curved serrations of a bread knife are in stark contrast to the finer pattern of a hunting knife. Steak knives are different still. So, when sharpening a serrated style it’s important to have the right tools and technique.

The first thing to note is that most serrated knives only have a bevel on one side. Unlike a plain edge, which is best sharpened with a stone, the serrated edge of a bread or hunting knife is best accomplished with a rod. I like to use a diamond steel on bread knives because they don’t have large points between the serrations; they’re more curved in nature and are sharpened more quickly with a diamond steel.

SERRATIONS DOWN

Holding the bread knife with the serrations down and the bevel away from you, take your diamond steel and set it in between the two teeth at the handle end of the knife—then stroke in and out of the serrations two or three times before moving on with a smooth progression along the entire blade. It’s helpful if you rotate your wrist as you stroke so the edge of the blade contacts different points and evenly distributes wear along the diamond steel.

If you’re not sure exactly where the rod should come in contact, take a marker and draw a line along the bottom of the blade. When the rod goes through the gullet, it will wear away the ink, indicating you have sharpened that segment. Once you’ve passed the diamond steel through all the gulleys as described above, you’ll have a high-performing bread knife for even the most stubborn baguette.

A SMALLER APPROACH

The same concept applies to hunting knives. But, in this case a diamond steel or honing rod is too large. For these types I like the Diafold Serrated Knife Sharpener by DMT Diamond Machining Technology. The conical file serves as a mini-steel and enables you to quickly and accurately get in between even the finest serrations!

Holding the blade up and the bevel towards you take the Diafold Serrated Sharpener and run it into each serration. Because they are so shallow, this kind of sharpening will concentrate on the narrowest end of the Diafold, so remember to rotate your wrist so you spread the sharpening across the surface area of the sharpener evenly. After sharpening, hold the knife at a 10- to 15° angle and stroke the remaining (non-serrated) length across the Diafold Serrated Sharpener to give it a razor-sharp edge.

A STONE FORYOUR STEAK KNIFE

The serrations on a steak knife are too small to benefit from the in-and-out motion you use with a steel or serrated sharpener on bread or hunting knives. These are best sharpened with a traditional diamond stone without directly sharpening the serrations at all. Instead, run the backside of the blade (the side opposite the serrations) across the stone six to eight times from hilt to tip. Remember to hold the blade at a shallow angle, about 20°. This will establish a bevel on the backside resulting in a sharper side where the serrations are.

Of course, if your knives have gone a while without a good sharpening, you will need to start with a coarse grit and work your way to a fine grit. Fine is appropriate for bread and steak knives; some hunting knives perform better when sharpened with the extra fine grit. A dull serrated blade can’t make a good, clean cut - it is more likely to create a tear. But a well-sharpened serrated knife helps you slice to perfection. Think about that the next time you are in the kitchen or in the field.

Stan Watson is the technical director for DMT Diamond Machining Technology, manufacturer of a full line of Made in the USA diamond sharpening tools for use in woodworking, camping, fishing, hunting, outdoor and winter sports, culinary arts, gardening, police/security and industrial applications. He is the holder of 11 engineering patents in the sharpening industry. He can be reached at [email protected].