A serrated edge on a knife provides a better bite into hard or soft materials than a plain edged blade. It also reduces friction on the blade.
Whether you choose a plain or serrated edge depends on personal preference and tasks you need the knife for. In general, the plain edge works best for push cuts and the serrated for slicing.
1. Sharpening
The blade on a serrated knife is made up of a series of curved serrations. This makes it difficult to sharpen the entire edge of the blade with a regular sharpening rod because the pointed teeth on each serration prevent you from dragging the blade length along the sharpening rod.
Instead, you must sharpen each serration separately, one at a time. This requires the use of a special tool called a sharpening rod.
First, color the grinds on each serration with a marker so you can see where to touch the rod. This will make it easier to sharpen.
Next, locate the sharpening rod in the gullet of each serration, matching the angle to the blade’s grind. Gently slide the rod through each gullet, one at a time, until the diameter of the sharpening rod matches the width of that serration.
Repeat this process for each serration until you can feel a raised burr on the back side of each serration. Once this is achieved, you can flip the knife over and use a fine steel or ceramic rod to remove any remaining burrs.
2. Grinding
Serrated blades are designed to cut through materials that a smooth edge might not be able to do. They also look great and add a touch of class to a knife.
They’re great for cutting through textured or soft substances such as bread, cooked meats and soft fruits and vegetables. They’re also excellent for cutting through belts, ropes and fabric.
Depending on the type of material, serrated blades can either rip an item apart or catch it and cut through it. That’s why you should choose a serrated knife based on the material it will be used on.
The grinding process is the first step in a precision machining process. During the grinding process, abrasive particles in a grinding wheel are applied to the workpiece surface and are used to remove a thin layer of material from the workpiece. The abrasive particles act as microscopic single-point cutting edges, which shear the material.
3. Refinement
A knife is a tool for cutting things and serrated knives have become more popular recently. They look a bit like saws and can work well when cutting rope, woody-stemmed plants or tough fabric.
When choosing an edge type for your knife, two considerations are function and personal preference. A plain edge is best for push cuts and a serrated edge for slicing.
Partially serrated edges (a combination of plain and serrated) have risen in popularity and some feel they are a better choice than the fully serrated blade. They give you the option of precise push cuts and can also be more useful in certain tasks, such as a sailboat rigging blade.
If you choose a partially serrated edge, you can sharpen one part of the edge using a honing rod and file to get a finer edge. You can then strop the other part of the edge to keep it in good condition and make it more suitable for slicing.
4. Removal of Burr
When sharpening a knife, it is important to remove any burrs that form along the blade edge. Skipping this step will result in a duller edge and may cause unwanted resistance when cutting.
A burr is a thin piece of metal that collects on the edge of the blade during sharpening. They can be removed by running the flat end of the knife along a whetstone (a stone block lubricated with water or oil) or a piece of fine-grit sandpaper.
To sharpen a serrated knife, begin by using a ceramic hone to apply firm pressure on the back side of each serration, working in a back-and-forth motion, perpendicular to the knife’s edge. Be sure to feel for a raised burr on the back side every few passes, which will indicate that you’re establishing the true edge.
Once the blade has been sharpened to a point where there is no raised burr, it’s time to move on to the next step. Removing the burrs will expose the apex of the blade for maximum sharpness.