subject: Sharpening A Serrated Blade [print this page] Sharpening is a part of maintaining any knifeSharpening is a part of maintaining any knife. Some modern Bowie knives come with serrated blades, however, which oftentimes create a confusing situation for their owners. These blades can be sharpened, but it takes a much different technique than does sharpening a standard knife blade. The most important thing to remember is that a serrated blade should only be sharpened when it becomes genuinely dull or damaged. There is no real reason to sharpen the blade otherwise.
Those Bowie knives that have serrated edges usually have them toward the pommel of the blade. They are oftentimes employed when the cutting task at hand would be to rough on a good blade and when the user doesn't want to destroy their standard, beveled edge. These serrated portions of the blade will handle most cutting tasks without dulling significantly, but it will happen from time to time. You'll need a special type of sharpener to get the edge restored to the serrations on your blade.
Before you start, take a look at the blade. Combination Bowie knives will have a transition point where the knife edge changes from serrated to beveled. Be sure to keep the tool you'll be using, a conical sharpening rod, away from the beveled section of the blade. You'll be sharpening the serrations in the depressed areas, not on the flat side of the blade. The flat side will contain the burr, which can easily be wiped away after sharpening.
Draw the conical sharpening rod along the serration, maintaining the original bevel as much as possible. Remember, you don't have to bother with serrations that aren't damaged or flattened. The edges of the serrations should be invisible when held facing you, as should a beveled edge. Remember, however, that serrations can be a little duller than a beveled edge and still provide excellent cutting action. You don't have to sharpen the serrations to a razor edge, as they're more about sawing than cutting, in reality.
Bowie knives with serrated edges are fantastic outdoor tools and can be extremely useful. The serrations allow you to use them for tough tasks and to preserve your beveled edge for tasks such as dressing and skinning game. If you have such a knife, get a conical sharpening rod to sharpen the serrations, but don't plan on using it very much. Most often, serrations are the most low-maintenance part of the blade on your knife.
