I appreciate the great comments, especially the observations about practical use of serrated vs. plain edges and dulling.
I've found Steak knife edges come in three varieties.
Plain, which needs no illustration
Serrated - Concave, wherein the cutting edge sits behind several points which protect it.
Serrated - Convex where the sharpened edge juts out the farthest:
Mini-Serrated (the industry calls them Micro-Serrated, but that term has different meaning on this board, so Mini is more apt.) Examples would be Henkels Eversharp (which ain't cheap) and just about every cheapo chinese black handled knife set.
These cut like lightning out of the box, but they're essentially saws and will get dull. I know of no practical way to re-sharpen, I often end up grinding off the serrations and turn it into a plain edge.
Now, if I didn't like sharpening, the serrated edges will last me the longest. Regular Concave Serrated (ala Spyderco) is fine for me, and probably the best because it holds and edge and can be resharpened. Problem with the mini-serr is once it's dull, it's life is over.
But I like sharpening, and resharpening 7-8 knives every few months is fine for me. I sharpen these knives with a high angle, 25 or higher and they cut well and don't dull as readily.
I'm such a geek I've been known to flip that knife-dulling plate over and touch up my knife's edge on that narrow ring of unglazed ceramic on the bottom of the plate before the food arrives. You can do the same with an inverted coffee cup, the ceramic functions similar to the white sharpening rods. I once did a whole drawer full of knives this way in a house we were renting when I was without a sharpener. It's a real MacGyver move, but it works if you have the time.
Read more:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/cantrell105.html
I've found Steak knife edges come in three varieties.
Plain, which needs no illustration
Serrated - Concave, wherein the cutting edge sits behind several points which protect it.
Serrated - Convex where the sharpened edge juts out the farthest:
Mini-Serrated (the industry calls them Micro-Serrated, but that term has different meaning on this board, so Mini is more apt.) Examples would be Henkels Eversharp (which ain't cheap) and just about every cheapo chinese black handled knife set.
These cut like lightning out of the box, but they're essentially saws and will get dull. I know of no practical way to re-sharpen, I often end up grinding off the serrations and turn it into a plain edge.
Now, if I didn't like sharpening, the serrated edges will last me the longest. Regular Concave Serrated (ala Spyderco) is fine for me, and probably the best because it holds and edge and can be resharpened. Problem with the mini-serr is once it's dull, it's life is over.
But I like sharpening, and resharpening 7-8 knives every few months is fine for me. I sharpen these knives with a high angle, 25 or higher and they cut well and don't dull as readily.
I'm such a geek I've been known to flip that knife-dulling plate over and touch up my knife's edge on that narrow ring of unglazed ceramic on the bottom of the plate before the food arrives. You can do the same with an inverted coffee cup, the ceramic functions similar to the white sharpening rods. I once did a whole drawer full of knives this way in a house we were renting when I was without a sharpener. It's a real MacGyver move, but it works if you have the time.
Read more:
http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/cantrell105.html
