Sharpening serrated blades

[Sisco]

Just bought a Kershaw Scallion to replace my Kershaw Blackout that I lost
I've never had a knife with a serrated blade before, is there a trick to sharpening it or just treat it like any other blade?

 

[OF]

One word: Spyderco SharpMaker

Wait...that's 2 words.

- Gabe

 

[Sisco]

After I posted I saw the Sharpening FAQ at the top of the page. OK, I saw it before I posted but didn't think about reading it first.

 

[Flashpoint]

I have not found one thing a serrated blade can do that a sharp straight blade cannot and I have found that serrated blades are a pain to sharpen so as a rule I avoid them. I sure they serve a purpose but I have yet to run across a task that made me wish that I had a serrated blade.

Good luck with yours, I hope you find a easy way to keep it sharp.

 

[Chuck Dye]

With a rod-like stone, diamond rod, ceramic, or file of the correct diameter, scalloped blades are relatively easy, if tedious, to deal with. Serrations of other than circular profile can make it tough to find media. If you are going to sharpen freehand, get a junker to practice on before tackling a good blade. I never found one to buy, and did not make my own, but a jig to hold the rod and allow handling more like dressing a straight blade on a large flat stone would ease the tedium and speed the process. I was almost grateful when a thief got my last serrated knife and provided the excuse to replace it with a straight blade.

 

[Sisco]

Normally I wouldn't buy a serrated blade myself but I misplaced my other Kershaw and got a pretty good deal on this one.