Bread knives / Serrated knives (underappreciated?)

[Xunzi]

Are bread knives the most underappreciated type of knives? I use my bread knife not only for bread, but for pealing and shaving veggies and fruit with somewhat elastic, oily skin - e.g. grapefruits. It can even be the best option for tougher meat cuts. I'm considering getting a small serrated Victorinox to complement. It seems like an absolute must-have knife in every kitchen, yet I don't find much information on them (at least compared to all other knife types). What I've been able to gather is that less and deeper serrations are generally better, and a slight curvature to the blade is preferable. Yet many questions remain.

What's the origin of serrated knives? Are they a Western introduction in Asia?
What's the importance of steel hardness when it comes to serrated knives? I never see it specified.
How are these knives sharpened?
Why are they not more prominent in supply as well as knife discussions?

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

Serrated knives should be banished to darkest recesses of the least used drawer.

Now, the super-hard-crusted bread folks will disagree but I find my occasions to need a serrated knife sparse to say the least. A well sharpened plain edge can handle nearly every task.

But, I mean, if you like them, then ya know, feel free to be weird, er, I mean to do what you want.

 

[Xunzi]

Serrated knives should be banished to darkest recesses of the least used drawer.

Now, the super-hard-crusted bread folks will disagree but I find my occasions to need a serrated knife sparse to say the least. A well sharpened plain edge can handle nearly every task.

But, I mean, if you like them, then ya know, feel free to be weird, er, I mean to do what you want.

So you confirmed my observation but didn't really give an explanation. What's the issue with serrated knives? They clearly have a utilitarian purpose, yet, by your own accord, you rather use plain edge if you can... Not sure I get it.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

So you confirmed my observation but didn't really give an explanation. What's the issue with serrated knives? They clearly have a utilitarian purpose, yet, by your own accord, you rather use plain edge if you can... Not sure I get it.

I personally don't think they clearly have a utilitarian purpose. I really don't. I think a well sharpened plain edge can handle all but the most challenging tasks like a thick sourdough or something. I see serrated knives as a rare necessity and that might be too generous of a word for my uses. A specialty knife not unlike an oyster knife or the like.

They are ugly, a pain to sharpen, and often tear at product rather than slice it. Now, not all serrations or serrated knives are created equal and I get that too, but I've never encountered one that I felt moved the needle for me. I have one ~8" Mercer that gets an occasional call to service and that's more than enough for me.

Again, many folks disagree with me though and that's cool.

 

[MowgFace]

For me , i agree with HHC not all bread knives are made equal.

Im on the Mac Superior train as far as favorites go. I gifted mine to my brother, and at the time replaced it with 2 Tojiro clones.

Many years later, i still find that scalloped serrations work better than their pointy counterparts for 80% of what I need, and i would want pointy serrations for the last 20.

 

[Xunzi]

I personally don't think they clearly have a utilitarian purpose. I really don't. I think a well sharpened plain edge can handle all but the most challenging tasks like a thick sourdough or something. I see serrated knives as a rare necessity and that might be too generous of a word for my uses. A specialty knife not unlike an oyster knife or the like.

They are ugly, a pain to sharpen, and often tear at product rather than slice it. Now, not all serrations or serrated knives are created equal and I get that too, but I've never encountered one that I felt moved the needle for me. I have one ~8" Mercer that gets an occasional call to service and that's more than enough for me.

Again, many folks disagree with me though and that's cool.

Well, I do eat quite a bit of sourdough as well as thick rye bread - I'm fairly new to this but no plain edge knife I have/had would even come close to performance. And as I mentioned, I've found it the best performer for other things like shaving the peal off grapefruits. To look for a plain edge that can replace it just for the sake of it feels strange to me. But I guess, if you think they're ugly and they're a pain to sharpen (which I definitely get), as you say, then it makes sense to avoid them.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

I like crusty breads also, to include sourdough and rye and most of the time I can handle them with a plain edge. Once in a while I concede the serrated knife is better.

I'm not trying to convert you away from serrated knives. If you like them, that's cool. I'm just answering your question.

 

[Xunzi]

I like crusty breads also, to include sourdough and rye and most of the time I can handle them with a plain edge. Once in a while I concede the serrated knife is better.

I'm not trying to convert you away from serrated knives. If you like them, that's cool. I'm just answering your question.

Of course and I appreciate your answer. I guess I find the "I can handle them" revealing a reluctance to use a serrated blade rather than it being optimal but I again, I think aesthetics and sharpening maintenance as you mention are valid reasons for that.

 

[HumbleHomeCook]

It's not a reluctance per se, I just don't find them that useful. If my plain edge knives handle the tasks perfectly well then I have no incentive to accept the detractions of the serrated blade.

 

[Xunzi]

Detractions

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[labor of love]

If I was a home cook I’d very likely not own a bread knife. But at work I turn 2-3 cases of baguettes into crostinis and other things a week. That amount of usage would shorten the life of a sujihiki I’m thinking.

 

[blokey]

They destroy my cutting boards.

 

[Xunzi]

They destroy my cutting boards.

I've definitely experienced this. I've found a way to cut through bread down the leaving a few mm and then use the tip to sever the slice, which seems to be saving the board.

 

[chefwp]

I have a couple old wooden boards that are dedicated "bread boards"

I like to use my old heavier mercer to take the rind off of pineapple and I also prefer it to remove kernels from ears of corn. Yes, all of my other knives can remove it just as well if not better, but I actually like the bread because it makes a bit more of a mess of things, which is perfect for the only dish I use this preparation for, Michel Richard's Santa Fe corn.

 

[Strozzi]

I agree with @HumbleHomeCook, a sharp gyuto is the way to go.

 

[Delat]

I only grab a serrated knife for bread. I don’t really see the value for anything else, even peeling grapefruits or oranges as mentioned.

Is it possible your regular knives aren’t sharp enough to get the job done?

 

[Jovidah]

Yeah once you have proper sharp knives I never really saw any other use for serrated knives than crusty bread (for which they are truly superior). But for other stuff? They tear up the product, tear up the board, are problematic to sharpen...
The only use I see for those small serrated knives is for cutting small bread rolls or croissants.

 

[Xunzi]

Yeah once you have proper sharp knives I never really saw any other use for serrated knives than crusty bread (for which they are truly superior). But for other stuff? They tear up the product, tear up the board, are problematic to sharpen...
The only use I see for those small serrated knives is for cutting small bread rolls or croissants.

Yeah, I concur, having a small serrated knife doesn’t seem to add much. But the full length bread knife I cannot do without. Just did an orange test actually. While my gyuto works perfectly well, I need a sawing motion either way and the bread knife just seems to give me more control, albeit a subtle difference. Maybe it’s down to poor technique.

 

[riba]

What does the 'orange test' entail (just curious as you need to saw)?

 

[Xunzi]

What does the 'orange test' entail (just curious as you need to saw)?

Basically shaving off the peal from bottom to top, following the round contour, around the orange until you have a skinless orange ball in your hand.

Like so:

 

[Xunzi]

I only grab a serrated knife for bread. I don’t really see the value for anything else, even peeling grapefruits or oranges as mentioned.

Is it possible your regular knives aren’t sharp enough to get the job done?

See above. My gyuto is fairly new and very sharp out of the box. If anything it’s down to the (lack of) quality of the knife wielder, not the knife

 

[bradmacmt]

My gyutos can fly through hard bread, and I sometimes use them for such. But why dull such fine blades on such a plebeian task? And not all bread is the same - some is quite hard!

I know Shun is not loved here, but their bread knife is simply fantastic.

 

[riba]

See above. My gyuto is fairly new and very sharp out of the box. If anything it’s down to the (lack of) quality of the knife wielder, not the knife

I'd also suspect a dull knife

 

[Xunzi]

I'd also suspect a dull knife

it’s sharp enough to perform the “tomato test” with no problem

 

[Jovidah]

Basically shaving off the peal from bottom to top, following the round contour, around the orange until you have a skinless orange ball in your hand.

Like so:

I only ever do this when I'm cutting supremes but I have yet to encounter a sharp knife that wouldn't fulfill this task to satisfaction.

 

[riba]

it’s sharp enough to perform the “tomato test” with no problem

It fails on the orange test though ; Perhaps shoot a video?

 

[Xunzi]

I only ever do this when I'm cutting supremes but I have yet to encounter a sharp knife that wouldn't fulfill this task to satisfaction.

My gyuto fulfills it to satisfaction. My point is that my bread knife seems to be doing it BETTER. That’s my experience but I’m not an experienced chef.

 

[Xunzi]

It fails on the orange test though ; Perhaps shoot a video?

It doesn’t fail.

 

[riba]

Anyway, to answer one of your question, I sharpen my bread knife with a tapered diamond rod.

I have seen sandpaper wrapped around a rod been recommended.

I vaguely remember a chicken being quickly butchered by a tojiro bread knife. Could have been @ThEoRy ?

 

[Jovidah]

My gyuto fulfills it to satisfaction. My point is that my bread knife seems to be doing it BETTER. That’s my experience but I’m not an experienced chef.

Maybe it feels better simply because it has less blade height?
I never exhaustedly tested this; since I only do this for supremes I usually do it with a petty, boning or fillet knife.
Not that I'm a pro either.