Serrated Knife Sharpener
A knife is as varied as its maker and the country of origin. Blade patterns and styles are customized as per the makers’ specifications. The blade of a knife may be smooth or serrated depending on its use. Serrated blades have wavy edges with scallops resembling the teeth of a saw. They are well suited for items that require aggressive back and forth motions for cutting. A bread knife would be a good example in this case. Basically, the serrations on the edge of the blade make it easy to cut through items that are hard and textured on the outside and soft inside.
However, with constant use even the best blades become dull. A dull knife does not mean that the edges have worn away. The edges of a knife are thinner than human hair. With regular use the edges fold over themselves and need to be straightened out.
Because of the unique construction of serrated knives, they are very difficult to sharpen. Serrated blades require specialized equipment and sharpening techniques to bring back their cutting precision. Serrated knife blades cannot be sharpened on ordinary sharpening stones. They need custom made cone shaped taper sharpeners to polish each point. A serrated knife sharpener often comes with diamond layers which are specially designed to get inside every individual serration.
A serrated knife sharpener should be chosen after careful consideration. It is better to try it out once before purchasing it. It is essential to select the correct grit size of a serrated knife sharpener. Fine grit on a knife sharpener provides a good cutting edge that sharpens the knives faster. A coarse grit serrated knife sharpener provides faster sharpening for very dull serrated blades. The diameter of the serrated knife sharpener should match the serration or gullet size of the knife. To test the serrated knife sharpener, the edge of the knife should be pushed towards the sharpening surface. Work each serration carefully so that they are not widened. Sharpening one side of the blade is enough as the back provides adequate support for the serrations.
A good serrated knife sharpener takes only a few minutes to make a dull blade as good as new. It sharpens and realigns the teeth of the knife to make them prominent. The best serrated knife sharpeners available in the market have precision angle guides built into them and a diamond abrasive surface that files each individual tooth like a microscopic blade.
Serrated knives damage easily and it is better to sharpen them only when its absolutely necessary. But, a good serrated knife sharpener will ensure that your knife does not wear out easily.