Step by step sharpening of serrated knives

[Sharpco]

Video how we sharpen serrated kitchen knives, bread knives etc

https://youtu.be/T4LItIdH-FI

Excellent!

[Ken S]

Jeff,

Different sharpening methods cater to different target markets and expectations. When I started using my wooden dowel technique several years ago, the two common forum options for serrated knives were grinding the flat (unserrated) side of the knife or, for inexpensive knives, discarding them. The theory behind discarding the knife was that a customer would be reluctant to pay much to sharpen a cheap knife. Expectations were low.

In my case, the only serrated knife I sharpen is my Henckel bread knife. I just checked pricing a new replacement. At $79 US, I think my slower dowel method is worth the effort. Knowing what I now know about edge retention, if I lived in Australia, I would definitely hire Knife Grinders to sharpen it. Wootz' technique using flint hard wheels and multiple grinding angles is clearly superior. Deburring individual serrations is time consuming. I would expect to pay a premium fee for this service. In return for my premium fee, I would receive a premium sharpening job which would stay sharp for a very long time, much longer than my dowel method.

A quality flint hard wheel costs about the same as a new Henckel knife. For a professional sharpening service like Knife Grinders, that is cost effective. For a home hobby sharpener like me who sharpens one serrated knife. Pretending that a flint hard wheel is cost effective for me is what Mark Twain might describe as "a stretcher". I suspect I will probably invest in a flint hard wheel as part of my learning process. I want to keep my sharpening knowledge cutting edge. Wootz' pioneering work is definitely the cutting edge of knife sharpening. In my opinion, he has raised the bar far beyond what Tormek thought was possible.

Ken

[Ken S]

Video how we sharpen serrated kitchen knives, bread knives etc

https://youtu.be/T4LItIdH-FI

Excellent!

While we are discussing raising the bar for sharpening, Sharpco sets a very high bar for sharpening videos. I just found his very informative new videos on rust prevention and honing with Jende products. As I have come to expect from Sharpco, his technique is very solid and his video quality is superb. His you tube channel is definitely on my preferred list.

Ken

[jeffs55]

Here is what you need in a bread knife for only $24, I have it and love it. Ever tried to cut loaf bread on the diagonal? Blade too short? Not with this thing, 14 inches and razor sharp. Sharp serrations will cut right through. $24. Oh, did I mention it is only $24? https://www.amazon.com/Fat-Daddios-Bread-Knives-Inches/dp/B001TK2ZGC/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3OF4W1LNWZDV7&keywords=fat+daddio+bread+knife&qid=1557134355&s=gateway&sprefix=fat+daddio+%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-2

[Twisted Trees]

It is all very good, but unless you have much harder bread than I do, or possibly use  a carbide steel bread board.. sharpening a bread knife is a once a decade task, so I sharpen on the flat side gently de burr on the serrated side  and forget about it for a decade, if I need a new knife ever 30 years I don't really mind... and am certainly not going to tool up and master techniques to prolong it's life. If however I was sharpening for multiple people and had multiple serrations to work on, I would probably design a machine especially for it... 

[Ken S]

Pete, How dare you introduce practicality to a perfectly good quest. 

I think we have to consider both the use and the end user. With you and me, we just want our bread knives to cut better, which they do with minimal effort.

A customer walking into an establishment like Knife Grinders would justifiably have higher expectations. When I ran my small photo darkroom business, I educated my customers to expect much higher quality photos than the local quick processor provided. Just as not everyone expected or needed archival quality custom photographic prints, not everyone expects or wants to pay for Knife Grinders level of sharpening. I'm sure the same diversity of expectations exists with woodturning.

Do most of us need superbly sharp bread knives? Certainly not, however, there are those who value that level of quality workmanship, just like there are turners who carefully hone and polish their gouges.

Ken

[Twisted Trees]

Ken, I was just getting a bit concerned that the bread in the UK was sub standard, and should have texture like rubber or leather thus requiring a higher level of sharpness 

But on that subject, sharpness is always to an appropriate level my skew chisel, or bowl gouge will require anyone touching them inappropriately to apply sticking plasters. BUT they are are not as sharp as my hand chisel's or carving chisels.

Simple mathematics says if I am turning  say an average of a 10" diameter bowl at 1000rpm I am looking to take about 15 yards a second in shavings, that would take me about a month to cut by hand, so therefore an appropriate amount of extra time will be put into the sharpening of hand tools... also if I was to aim to have such a razor edge on my lathe tools they would be too fine, and worn after a matter of seconds meaning I would spend too much time maintaining the edge, and not enough time reducing trees to sawdust and shavings, which is the principle use of sharp things in my world.

[RichColvin]

Pete,

I whole-heartedly agree with your notes on turning tools !

Kind regards,
Rich

[kenc295]

Before I got my Tormek, I typically sharpened our kitchen knives (Henckels) "quick and dirty" using a 320 grit band on my dynafile. So recently I sharpened them all on my Tormek and my wife was impressed!  shortly after however, she started to complain about the bread knife.  On inspecting it I saw that nearly all of the serrations had been reduced to almost nothing - obviously due to overly aggressive "sharpening" on both sides of the knife. Yesterday I had at it with a round file and easily restored the knife to a useable condition. Unfortunaately, I only had a round bastard file, so a Pferd round smooth file is in the mail for me to finish the job.
Anyway, bottom line - restoring the scalloped areas is quite easy with a round file, I used a 12" file and the radius was close enough.

[Erivan]

Good job !
I did restore a bread knife using an "affordable"  round file from a well known Chinese website  (ask me for the link if you need). Took me a few minutes to get the scalloped side nice and clean. I then used a 2500 sanding paper for the flat side, nice and gently.