Do You Sharpen Serrated Knives?

Whether you're slicing mountains of onions for a family recipe or cutting through a crusty loaf of sourdough, your lineup of kitchen knives is essential to everyday cooking. Over time, you may notice it takes more effort to cut steaks and peel apples, making it a good time to sharpen those kitchen knives. The most obvious way is with a whetstone or an electric sharpener. But what about serrated knives? You can't just grind down those scalloped edges — that unique design is what makes them work. So do you sharpen them? The answer is yes, and there is a specific method for doing it.

The secret to sharpening those dull kitchen knives is a handy tool called a tapered sharpening rod. Usually made from diamond or ceramic, it sometimes resembles a tiny sword with a blunt tip. It's generally thicker at the top and smaller at the bottom, so you can easily sharpen different-sized serrated blades. It functions sort of like it has sandpaper wrapped around it. While it's ideal for serrated blades, it also works on flat blades. Keep in mind that knives used for daily cooking at home will only need to be sharpened a couple times a year. 

Sharpening serrated blades takes time. Unlike a straight-bladed knife that you easily run through an electric knife sharpener, serrated knives require you to focus on one tooth at a time.

Serrated knives have a smooth side and a tooth side, or the side with all the ridges. You want to sharpen the tooth side. Start by holding your sharpening rod at an angle so it fits snugly inside the first tooth. Slide the rod away from the blade, working through each groove one serration at a time. You may need to pull the blade across the rod a few times depending on how dull the knife is. 

With each pull, you'll notice small metal fragments forming on the back side of the blade. This material is commonly known as a burr. Once you've finished sharpening all the teeth, flip the knife over and run the rod over the back side of the blade to remove the burrs. You can also remove these metal pieces by wiping the flat edge across a whetstone.

One way to level up your kitchen knife sharpening game is by using a marker to color each curve. As you sharpen the teeth, the color will rub off, helping you track which grooves you've completed.