How to sharpen serrated portion of blade?

N

Naphtali

Joined
May 20, 2002
Messages
148
Two years after a visiting friend put away my Gatco diamond "Professional" sharpening set and one year after I replaced it with a more moderately priced Gato diamond sharpening set, I discovered the missing set. The rediscovered Gatco has a triangular shaped sharpener labeled "Serrated Blade Sharpener." I have knives whose blades are partially serrated. I have been using a tapering half-round diamond stone to sharpen serrations free-hand because serrations are formed via troughs rather than notches.

Gatco's Serrated Blade Sharpener, to be used in their sharpening fixture, appears to be unusable on the serrations I sharpen. Since I have three different partially serrated blades, none of which appears to be sharpenable with Gatco's triangular stone, it's likely I don't understand how to use it. Excepting this difficulty, I find Gatco's fixtured sharpening set to be satisfactory. It's stones are wider than any of the three fixtured sets I have used before my first Gatco.

As best you can, please describe how to use Gatco's Serrated Blade Sharpener when serrations are formed via concave troughs rather than notches.
 
The point of the triangle follows the curves of the edge. Just sharpen like a flat stone. You can use on the flat too. The smaller contact area removes more metal than a flat stone so fewer strokes are required.
 
The triangular hones included with Gatco or Lansky guided sets are intended to be used in the same manner as their other guided hones. In other words, with the edge of the triangle moved into/away from the blade's edge, within the troughs of the serrations. With troughs wider than the triangular edge on the hone, the hone can be rotated somewhat within the trough to reach all of the edge within that trough. KEEP PRESSURE LIGHT, so the narrow edge of the hone won't focus too much pressure against your blade's edge and roll it.

I'm thinking there must a video or two out there somewhere, demo'ing how these are used. I'm looking for a decent one; will post it here if I can find one that makes it's use clear and obvious.
 
I prefer Spyderco's method of evenly grinding the entire profile of the serrations so they wear evenly. Using strokes parallel to the edge instead of painstakingly dealing with each scallop individually. Not as pretty, but just sharpening inside the scallops eventually leaves large blunt teeth around the sharp areas. The geometry becomes less effective over time.

I figure the guy who perfected serrations and made em mainstream might know a thing or 2 about keeping em SHARP!

Go to YouTube and check out the Sharpmaker vids Sal put out. The process is described there in detail.
 
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Many thanks, guys for this information. I will try using as recommended. If I do not obtain a successful outcome, I guess I'll revert to my "horse and buggy" method.
 
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