Serrated knives are handy kitchen tools that many people cannot live without in their daily cooking processes. Serrated knives are made to cut bread but also to cut fruits and vegetables that have tough outer skins and soft interiors.
These cleverly designed knives often stay sharp for much longer than regular blades, but they are harder to sharpen once they need some attention.
If you have been wondering how to sharpen your serrated knives, you are not alone. Many people are not sure how to complete this task and send their knives out to be sharpened by professionals rather than trying to undertake the task themselves.
There are some great ways that you can sharpen your serrated knives at home, you just have to learn how to use the right tools for these processes.
If you are ready to learn how to sharpen a serrated knife with a rod, read on!
What is a Sharpening Rod?
A sharpening rod is like honing steel except that it is smaller and narrower.
These tools often tape to a point, which means that you will have access to many thicknesses of the rod as you work on unique parts of your knife. Sharpening rods also come in various materials like ceramic, steel, and diamond.
These tools are essential to the process of sharpening serrated knives and many people swear by them for use as a honing tool as well.
This is a much easier tool to learn how to use than some kind of sharpeners as well, making it a great choice for your knife sharpening needs.
These are affordable tools that are easy to store and you will not have to figure out where to put this item when it is not in use.
Electric sharpeners are bulky and hard to store, so this kind of solution is a great one when you have serrated knives to sharpen.
How to Sharpen a Serrated Knife With a Rod
Serrated knives have two surfaces that you have to sharpen. You will need to sharpen the flat side of the blade and then you will need to sharpen the serrated segments individually.
This is where a one-size-fits-all sharpener will not work for this task.
1. Make Sure the Knife is Clean
Sharpening a dirty knife is never a good idea. The dirt and grime on the knife can lead to incorrect contact with the sharpener and you might also have trouble with grit or grime causing the blade to bend or warp.
Additionally, dirty knives can also be slippery, so you might have trouble keeping a hold of the knife as you sharpen the blade.
2. Sharpen the Flat Side
The flat side of the blade is the easiest side of the blade to sharpen. This requires smooth, even strokes that run from the handle to the tip.
You want to be sure that you mostly deburr and smooth this side of the knife with your sharpening rod.
3. Sharpen the Serrated Segments
Fit the serrated segments of your knife to the sharpening rod. Work up and down the length of the rod as needed to match the spaces that you need to sharpen.
Always drag the knife down the sharpening blade away from you so that you do not cut yourself. This might take a bit if there are many segments in the knife that you are sharpening, but you need to do each one by itself.
Make sure to give each segment about 3-5 strokes across the sharpening rod.
4. Clean up the Back of the Blade
Once you have completed sharpening all of the unique segments of the serrated side of the blade, you will need to smooth the backside of the blade again to make sure that it has not become burred in the process of sharpening the serrated segments.
Make sure that you look to see if the knife looks smooth to you visually. You can also test it gently with your finger. Be sure not to press your fingers hard to the sharpened blade.
5. Test it Out
Feel free to test your blade out by cutting something with it. You can always wash it and then go back to sharpening if you feel that you have not gotten it sharp enough.
Be sure that you do not sharpen your blade too aggressively. You can always sharpen more later if you want, but if you sharpen your blade too aggressively, you might bend it or break it.
Sharpening Rods Are Great Tools
Sharpening rods are very useful tools when you have serrated knives to sharpen. This is one of the best tools that you can choose to use for this purpose.
There are not many sharpening tools that will work as well as a sharpening rod for your serrated knives. Investing in the right sharpening tools will make it easy for you to care for your serrated knives with ease.
Having sharp and usable serrated knives on hand at all times will make many of your cooking processes much easier and more enjoyable!
Brianna is a self-published author with a passion for sharing her knowledge and expertise on a variety of topics with people who are looking to find the perfect items for their needs. She loves making sure that the right kind of informative content is available to people looking for quality products of all kinds. She is an avid horseback rider and reader when she is not writing.
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