Is sharpening serrated knives a dangerous activity? They have to be done with extreme caution. These methods are quite different from sharpening traditional blades. Each section of serrated knives has to be sharpened individually. So to restore the sharpness as before, it is necessary to sharpen them. Let us discuss the steps about how to sharpen a serrated knife.
Sharpening rod
You should purchase a sharpening tool. Most of those tapered sharpeners are rod-shaped. They come in different sizes.
- You must select the appropriate grit size. The fine
grit will be suitable in most cases to render polished cutting edge. You require seeing that the diameter of those cones on the sharpener matches to the size of gullet on the knife. - These knives do not look same from both sides. Apply the sharpening tool to the side of that blade with a beveled edge. Place the rod along the groove and sharpen the first groove. Use short strokes.
- Examine if there are metal shavings. Feel for a burr on the back. Once you feel it, move on to the next serration. If serrations are of different sizes, you must adjust the rod accordingly.
- When all the serrations are done, turn the knife over. Remove the metal shavings by rubbing knife against a piece of sandpaper. Be careful and avoid applying unnecessary pressure.
Other tools
Instead of rods, tapered triangles are also used. They give effective results on knives with V-shaped gullets. The edge of that device is rocked in back and forth motions to achieve the desired result. A cheaper option is creating your tool with cheap dowels. These are available in hardware stores. Buy a suitable dowel that fits in the first scallop of the knife. Cover the entire dowel with an emery cloth. Now sharpen very carefully. As you proceed you continue with the process by matching dowels with the size of those scallops.
Precautions
The sharpening of serration is done by the above process. These knives have the capability of cutting even when they become dull. But instead of cutting smoothly they will end up tearing or shredding. It takes a considerable amount of practice to get the perfect result. Try not to worry if the outcome is not satisfactory. Be very careful while carrying out this activity. It might be dangerous if you fail to pay adequate attention while sharpening a serrated knife.
