A Complete Guide to Understanding Serrated Knife in 2022

A popular tool known for carrying out various tasks in the kitchen, a knife is used for different purposes such as cutting, chopping, dicing, slicing, and peeling. Different knives are used for different purposes and work; a serrated knife is used to slice things through.

What Is A Serrated Knife?

A serrated knife is a knife with a blade that has a scalloped and a tooth-like edge that helps cut through foods with a hard exterior and a soft interior. Similar to a saw, a serrated knife has teeth on the blade, which easily goes through and slides smoothly through the food.

Why A Serrated Knife Belongs In Your Kitchen?

Also known as bread knives, serrated knives are highly efficient at cutting food and easily help you slice through foods that have both thick and resistant outer surfaces. This knife is so efficient that even if the knife's teeth become dull, the knife will still do a good job at cutting. Designed like a saw, a serrated knife has a razor-sharp edge that allows you to cut the food in one go.

Whether you want to slice a thick loaf of crusty bread or want perfect slices of tomato, a serrated knife can easily do that for you. Moreover, as a serrated knife is of high quality, you will only need to sharpen it once in a few years, but the sharpening will also depend upon your use.

What Are The Best Uses Of A Serrated Knife?

If you have a serrated knife at home, you will be delighted to learn that it offers multiple uses for food items. A serrated knife can be used at home to cut the bread into pieces, slice melon or squash, and slice eggplant. If you want your slicing to be done perfectly and accurately, using a serrated knife is wise. Moreover, you can also carve a roast with a serrated knife as this knife requires less effort than regular knives.

What To Look For In A Serrated Knife?

· Opt for fewer serrations

If you are considering investing in a serrated knife, you should opt for a knife with fewer serrations placed with a wider gap. This is because a knife that has fewer serrations will provide you with a better and accurate cut. Furthermore, when there are a few serrations, the force will be divided, so the lesser the serrations, the better it will be for you.

· Choose a firm handle and bolster

When handling a knife, you must be able to have a good grip on it. If you have a knife that gets wet and slippery easily, it could slip out of your hand and cause injuries. As you will want to control the knife's grip, make sure to try out the knife and see if it has a durable grip or not.

The space between the knife handle and the blade is known as bolster, and it serves as a strengthening element for the knife. When you select a sloped bolster, it will provide you with increased safety and security.

What Causes Knives To Go Dull?

Usually, when knives start to go dull, the prolonged use and the wear and tear have made them dull. Also, knives go dull when they are continuously washed in the dishwasher comprises of their sharpness. Moreover, the heat from the washing cycles can also dull your blades.

Can Serrated Knives Be Sharpened?

Yes, serrated knives can be sharpened, and they should be when they get dull.  But the good part is that they don't need to be sharpened very often as they have less friction, so the blade remains sharper for longer.

How to Pick the Best Knife Sharpener for Serrated Knives?

Are you wondering how to sharpen a serrated knife? Most of the time, knives are sharpened using a traditional sharpening stone that sharpens the knife through honing. However, using this stone sometimes makes the serrations dull and makes the knife of no use.

· What Is Sharpening Steel?

To avoid the problem of dealing with a dull knife, many people use sharpening steel to ensure perfect sharpening for their serrated knives. Sharpening steel refers to a long and thin rod that comes with different widths. When sharpening your knife, you can match the measurements and specifications on the rod for perfect sharpening.

· Sharpening Steels Can Utilize Different Materials for Finer Sharpening

Made from various materials such as ceramic, steel, and diamond, sharpening steels allow different levels of sharpening according to the requirement of the serrated knife. If your serrated knife's material is harder, you will have to use sharper sharpening steel for long-lasting results.

· The Right Handle Can Allow for More Comfort and Better Precision

Along with using the right serrated knife, it is also important that you opt for a sharpening tool with a good grip and increased durability. At times, the handles of sharpening tools are made from plastic, making it difficult and challenging for first-time users to operate.

· There Are Many Great Knife Sharpeners Available for Your Serrated Knives

Shopping for a knife sharpener for the first time can be slightly tricky, which is why the pointers mentioned above will prove to be of great help. When investing in a knife sharpener, it is advised that you keep comfort and durability in mind. When you do that, the sharpening tools will prove to be worthy for your serrated knives.

How To Sharpen A Serrated Knife?

To sharpen a serrated knife, use a round hone, either ceramic or steel, or pass it through the different serrations. Once the knife starts sharpening properly, you will feel the sharpness on the edges and know that the knife is ready for use.

How to Use a Sharpening Rod?

Also known as a honing rod, a sharpening rod is a metal rod that comes along with most knife sets. Unlike sharpening steel, a sharpening rod doesn't sharpen a knife, but it helps you hone the edges of a dull blade. When you feel that your knife has gotten dull after prolonged use, you can run it across a sharpening rod so you don't have to sharpen it frequently.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sharpening Serrated Knives

· Can I sharpen a serrated slicer or serrated electric knife?

Like any other knives, both serrated slicers and serrated electric knives can be sharpened after you feel that they have gone dull. Make sure you select a sharpener that is sturdy, durable, and easy to use so you can be done with the sharpening process in less than no time.

· Can I use an electric knife sharpener on a serrated blade?

It is possible to sharpen a serrated blade with an electric knife sharpener, as it is less labor-intensive than other methods. However, many experts say that an electric knife sharpener might not work on a serrated blade, so you should get it done by a professional.

· How can I sharpen a serrated knife without any special tools?

To sharpen a serrated knife at home, turn a coffee mug upside down and place it on a flat surface. Then place the serrated edges of the knife against the bottom and move it up and down. Repeat the process if you want to see maximum results.

· What other steps can I take to ensure my serrated knife stays sharp as long as possible?

To keep the serrated knife sharp, use honing steel and slide the knife along the steel. For long-term and maximum results, carry out this process once a week.

· How often should you sharpen a serrated knife?

Your knives should be sharpened depending on what you use. If you use serrated knives regularly and are your go-to knives, you should sharpen them every few months. You can also get them professionally sharpened every two years.

· How to Sharpen a Serrated Knife with a Spyderco Sharpmaker?

Spyderco Sharpmaker can sharpen both the serrated edges and plain edges. To sharpen a serrated knife, place the knife edges on the sharpener and move it up and down. Repeat the process until you feel that the knife has been sharpened.

· When to Sharpen Your Bread Knife?

Like all other knives, you are supposed to sharpen your bread knife when you feel that the edges have become dull or coarse. Usually, an average knife needs to be sharpened every 1 or 2 months if excessive use.

· When to buy a Knife Sharpener?

If your previous knife sharpener has been in use for a long time and you feel that it isn't doing an adequate job, then you can replace the sharpener. Usually, people replace a knife sharpener after 5 or 10 years of use.

· What Is The Best Way To Sharpen A Serrated Knife?

To sharpen your serrated knives, you can use honing steel as one of the easiest and oldest ways of sharpening. When you use honing steel, make sure you pass it through every serration, and once you do that, you will feel a bur by which you will know that it is the right process.

·  Can You Use A Whetstone To Sharpen A Serrated Knife?

A serrated knife can easily be sharpened with a whetstone as the whetstone easily reaches in between the serrations. However, keep in mind that serrated knives need to be sharpened differently as the serrations need individual attention.

·  Can you cut meat with a serrated knife?

It would help if you remembered that it isn't a good idea to cut meat with a serrated knife. This is because the serrations on the knife will produce uneven cuts on the meat and might also make your knife dull. A smooth-edged knife is the best option for cutting meat.

·  Are serrated knives better for use?

Serrated knives are ideal for use as they will slice between all kinds of food very well. After years of use and dullness, serrated knives won't disappoint you as the serrations have less direct contact with the food.

·  Can serrated knives be dangerous?

If you don't spend most of your time in the kitchen or are not handling knives well, you will have to be extra careful around serrated knives. Serrated knives usually have a sharp edge and are more dangerous than a straight blade. Make sure you slice properly when using a serrated knife so you don't end up hurting yourself.

Why Serrated Knives Are Well-Suited When Compared To Plain Edge Knives?

Wondering why you should invest in a serrated knife when you already have a plain edge knife at home? Unlike a plain edge knife, when using a serrated knife, you won't have to apply extra pressure when cutting something as the serrations will do everything for you.

Moving the serrated knife back and forth will make the required and accurate cuts and automatically dig into the food for you. Moreover, a serrated knife helps you with a perfect and large grip, so you won't have to worry about the knife slipping from your hands or something worse.

Furthermore, if you have ever cut a tomato before, you would know that if a knife isn't sharp enough, you will end up squishing the tomato. Imagine how it would feel like to lose the shape of the tomato and all the juices inside?

On the other hand, if you use a serrated knife, you will be done with the tomato cutting in less than no time as you won't have to put in much pressure. The tomato will also stay in shape, and you will also cut the ideal slices. Sounds like a win-win situation, right?