Help sharpening serrated edge.

Well, from trying to find some video on youtube to listening to suggestions on here, I see there are a lot of different opinions on the best way to do this. I like to do things in the simplest most effective way, so for me, Jason's techniques sounds the most practical. I've heard others say you will "destroy serrations" sharpening from the backside, but I'm thinking that would take quite a while to destroy with a ceramic rod.

Two questions.
1. I don't have any wheels or buffers (and won't be getting any) so what's the next best way to remove burr?
2. Any suggestion on which ceramic rod?
 
I bought a guy that works for me a Spyderco Rescue. He always admires my Spydercos and as a little bonus for a job well done I got him one of his own. He told me he was going to put it to the test and that he did. Cutting, drywall, wood, insulation, a bit of wire, plastic, cardboard, you name it...I own a demolition company so you can imagine the kind of abuse that knife sees. He brought to me in a couple of weeks time and kind of smirked at me and said I thought you said this was good steel...after 2 weeks of use it is dull. I told him all knives need to be sharpened but I really dont know how to sharpen a serrated edge. I bought a sharpmaker and the very first knife I sharpened on it was that abused Spyderco Rescue with nothing but the fine edge of the fine stone. In 25 strokes it was sharp again. After 25 more it was frightening. I think the sharp maker is a good investment. It is a very easy way to keep a consistent angle and sharpen just about anything. I am getting better and better with water stones and manual sharpening, but I do love the sharpmaker for quick reliable touching up and sharpening.
 
Well given your price range you might be able to do the job with slips. They're little pieces of ceramic or other abrasive that come in a wide variety of shapes. They are used to sharpen tools like gouges, drill bits, and used in high end gunsmithing to do trigger and sear tune ups. You can buy expensive sets or you could probably find on of the little triangle shaped ones or one of the little flat wedge shaped ones at someplace like Harbor Freight.

I have a Sharpmaker as well as the DMT tapered diamond rods made special for serrated edges. I have found that using the triange Sharpmaker like a slip and carefully honing each of the serrations individually works pretty well. Putting a well refined edge on each of those serrations is never going to be anywhere near as easy as a fine edge...and that's hard enough. The beauty part is you don't have to. Get each serration to an apex and remove the burr and it'll cut well.
 
Ohin3 said:
I bought a guy that works for me a Spyderco Rescue. He always admires my Spydercos and as a little bonus for a job well done I got him one of his own. He told me he was going to put it to the test and that he did. Cutting, drywall, wood, insulation, a bit of wire, plastic, cardboard, you name it...I own a demolition company so you can imagine the kind of abuse that knife sees. He brought to me in a couple of weeks time and kind of smirked at me and said I thought you said this was good steel...after 2 weeks of use it is dull. I told him all knives need to be sharpened but I really dont know how to sharpen a serrated edge. I bought a sharpmaker and the very first knife I sharpened on it was that abused Spyderco Rescue with nothing but the fine edge of the fine stone. In 25 strokes it was sharp again. After 25 more it was frightening. I think the sharp maker is a good investment. It is a very easy way to keep a consistent angle and sharpen just about anything. I am getting better and better with water stones and manual sharpening, but I do love the sharpmaker for quick reliable touching up and sharpening.
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I totally concure with this.
 
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