Sharpening Serrated Knives Isn’t Hard—You’re Just Using the Wrong Tool

Sharpening a regular knife blade is relatively straightforward, especially if you are using a pull-through sharpener. Though, even if you are using a whetstone, the long, continuous strokes required to sharpen a straight-edge blade are quick and easy when compared to the patience you need to sharpen a serrated knife.

Since traditional sharpeners don’t work when used on serrated knives, most home cooks find these blades difficult to keep sharp. However, with the right tools and the correct sharpening methods, you can sharpen your serrated knives with only slightly more effort than you would use to sharpen a straight-edge blade. 

We spoke to an expert on both straight-edge and serrated blades to find out exactly why serrated knives are considered hard to sharpen and to find the best sharpener for serrated knives. Here's everything you need to know.

Why Serrated Knives Are So Hard to Sharpen

Many people have the impression that serrated knives are hard to sharpen, but this is primarily due to the fact that they have individual teeth, rather than a flat edge, forcing you to sharpen each individual serration one at a time, rather than being able to sharpen the entire blade all at once. This doesn’t make a serrated knife more difficult to sharpen, it just means you need a little more patience to properly sharpen the series of tiny, curved individual blades consisting of points (teeth) and valleys (gullets). 

“Because the edge isn't a straight line, you can't use a flat stone or a standard pull-through sharpener. You have to get inside each individual groove to sharpen the beveled edge without grinding down the protective teeth. It’s a labor of love, but it’s entirely doable,” says Jordan Schmidt, co-founder and COO of Schmidt Bros. Cutlery. 

Related: The Secret to Razor-Sharp Knives Most Home Cooks Skip

What to Look for in a Serrated Knife Sharpener

When looking for a serrated knife sharpener, prioritize a tapered ceramic or diamond rod to fit varying serration sizes, allowing you to sharpen each scallop individually. Diamond rods are best for repairing heavily used knives, while ceramic rods are ideal for routine honing and finishing.

• Rod Shape: Pay attention to the shape when you are selecting a serrated knife sharpener. Schmidt notes that “you want a rod that is cone-shaped so it is thicker at the base and thinner at the tip.”
• Abrasive Material: Just like with a whetstone, it’s necessary to choose a sharpener with the right abrasive material for your specific purpose. Ceramic and diamond can both be effective choices, but Schmidt clarifies that “you aren't trying to reprofile the blade; you just want to bring the edge back to life, so it’s best to look for a fine grit.”
• Size Compatibility with Serration Depth: Shape isn’t the only thing that matters, you also need to consider the size and depth. “Since the gullets on serrated knives vary in size from knife to knife—and sometimes even on the same blade—a tapered sharpener ensures you can find the exact diameter to match the curve of your knife's specific grooves,” explains Schmidt. 
• Ease of Use: While not as important for home cooks with significant experience sharpening blades, if you are a beginner, then finding a sharpener that is relatively easy to understand and use immediately is a key factor to pay attention to so that you can sharpen your knives quickly and easily. 
• Ability to Sharpen Only One Side: Typically, the serrations on a serrated knife are sharpened on only one side, so you need to ensure your sharpener is designed to sharpen single-bevel edges. 

Related: How To Use a Honing Steel To Keep Your Knives Razor-Sharp

Best Types of Sharpeners for Serrated Knives

Best Overall: Ceramic Sharpening Rods

Ceramic sharpening rods are the go-to tool for sharpening experts. You can find these rods in uniform sizes made for specific serrations, or you can invest in tapered ceramic sharpening rods that allow the rod to fit a range of serration sizes. Schmidt says that ceramic is “great for gentle, everyday touch-ups and realigning the edge. It removes very little steel.”

Best for Dull or Damaged Blades: Diamond Sharpening Rods

When you need a more forceful approach than ceramic offers, diamond sharpening rods are a great option. Schmidt mentions that diamond is “a bit more aggressive. This is what you want if your bread knife has been neglected for years and needs some serious reshaping to get its bite back.” These sharpening rods are good for restoring heavily worn edges and damaged serrations, while offering a faster cutting alternative to ceramic. 

Best for Versatility: Tapered Rod Systems

Ideal for re-profiling or sharpening very dull serrations, tapered rod systems cut quickly and fit various scallop sizes. “For the best, most precise results that respect the craftsmanship of the knife, doing it by hand with a tapered rod is always our recommendation,” notes Schmidt. You can use tapered diamond rods for repairing dull or damaged serrations, while tapered ceramic rods are best for honing and maintaining blade sharpness. 

Best for Beginners: Pull-Through Sharpeners

There are pull-through sharpeners that come with a tapered rod slot specifically made for sharpening your serrated blades or you can find pull-through sharpeners with multiple slots for different size serrations. These tools are less precise than using a ceramic or a diamond rod to sharpen your serrated knives, but they are easy to use and more convenient for beginners who may initially struggle to precisely sharpen serrations with a sharpening rod. 

Best for Speed: Electric Sharpeners

When you need to sharpen your blade quickly, an electric sharpener is a top choice. “There are a few high-end, specialized electric sharpeners on the market that have dedicated, flexible slots for serrated knives. They work by only lightly stropping the flat side of the blade,” explains Schmidt. 

These sharpeners can sharpen a serrated knife in minutes, and some may have multi-stage sharpening options so you can sharpen dull blades, then polish the edges of the blades until they are razor-sharp with the same electric sharpener. Just keep in mind that these systems give you less control than a sharpening rod, relying solely on the electric sharpener for precision.

Do You Really Need to Sharpen Serrated Knives?

If you have a cheap serrated knife, it may not be worth it to spend time sharpening the blade when these knives can typically last years without regular maintenance, and you can simply replace them with new knives when they start to show signs of dullness, damage, and wear. However, if you have a high-quality serrated knife, then simply tossing it is a waste. You should take the time to sharpen these high-quality blades when they start to show reduced cutting performance. 

Schmidt says that “the good news is you don't have to sharpen them nearly as often as your standard chef's knife. The anatomy of a serrated blade naturally protects the cutting edge. The high points (the teeth) take the brunt of the impact against your cutting board, while the recessed valleys (the gullets) do the actual slicing. Because the slicing edge rarely hits the board, it stays sharp much longer.”

Related: How a Knife’s Steel Type Affects Sharpening

FAQs

What is the best sharpener for serrated knives?

Ceramic rods are the best tool for the job. Because they are tapered, they fit into various sizes of serration scallops, and the ceramic material grinds the scalloped edge precisely.

Can you sharpen serrated knives with a regular sharpener?

No, you cannot typically use a standard, flat pull-through sharpener to effectively sharpen serrated knives, as it will ruin the scalloped edge. Serrations must be sharpened individually using a tapered diamond rod, ceramic rod, or specialized sharpener, focusing on the bevel side of the blade.

Do electric sharpeners work on serrated knives?

Electric sharpeners can work on serrated knives, but only specific models with specialized serrated slots designed to avoid grinding down the serrated teeth. Manual ceramic rods are generally safer and more effective for preventing damage to the serrations.

What grit is best for serrated knives?

Generally, the best grit for a serrated knife depends on the current condition of the blade. If the serrations are very dull, then using a coarse-grit diamond rod will help to reshape the dull teeth. For regular maintenance, polishing, and refining the edge, a fine grit ceramic rod is best. Keep in mind that the grit level measurement of diamond is different from the grit level measurement of ceramic or other materials because diamond is significantly more abrasive. That is to say that a 1,000-grit diamond rod and a 1,000-grit ceramic rod are not equal in abrasiveness, and the diamond rod will have a coarser grit.