Guidelines for Honing a Serrated Pocket Knife: A User-Friendly Guide
Danny Perez, Reviews Editor at Popular Mechanics, shares his expert insights on sharpening a serrated knife. With a focus on men's style, gear, and home goods, Danny is well-versed in the art of maintaining tools.
Before we dive into the process, it's essential to understand the anatomy of a serrated blade. It has a flat side and a sloping side, also known as the beveled side. The beveled side has separate grooves that need to be sharpened.
Here's a simple guide to sharpening your serrated knife:
- Locate the beveled side of the serrated blade. This is where you'll be doing the majority of the work.
- Use a sharpening rod at a 15- to 20-degree angle and apply light pressure as you run it back and forth in short strokes. Repeat this process about 12 to 15 times in each serration, working your way down the blade.
- After sharpening every single serration, file any burrs by flipping the blade to the flat side and running the sharpening rod along the length a couple of times.
If you don't have a sharpening rod, you can fashion one using a wooden dowel and sandpaper (or emery paper).
For professional sharpening, recommended specialized tools include diamond-coated files, precision sharpening stones, honing guides, and specialized saw blade sharpeners designed to maintain the correct tooth geometry and bevel angles.
In his spare time, Danny enjoys thrifting for 90s Broadway tees and vintage pajama sets. His passion for quality products extends beyond the realm of knife sharpening, making him an authoritative voice in the world of men's style and gear.
