I find a nice looking knife...

[Twobit]

There's a nice looking side opening auto on the BudK site with a tanto blade for $50. I only wish it was offered without the half serrated blade. Some folks like em, some don't. I'd much rather not have em.

[LGustin]

I agree Twobit, I’m not a fan of serrated blades either. I want a blade that I know how to sharpen.

[Twobit]

Exactly LG.

[john]

I’ve tried to sharpen serrated blades. It’s not easy. I used round chainsaw files with iffy results.
What is the best way to get a sharp edge?

[Twobit]

John, my method is to take the blade to a belt sander and sand until the serrations are gone. Then run the whole edge across until the cutting edge matches across the whole length of the blade. Then work the stone until sharp. I've actually done this with a work knife that I didn't prize too much. I simply won't buy one for EDC if it features serrations. There are tools available for sharpening them but I'm not interested in bothering with it. If a maker wants my business they can offer a non serrated option.

[sammy the blade]

From my experience with BudK I think they are over priced and they sell a lot of stuff from China and Pakistan

[Twobit]

Sammy, some of their stuff is overpriced, some is a damn good deal, some is right on the money, price-wise, and some is just junk at any price, just about the same as any retailer I've come across. I usually shop around on things I want. I wish I had before I'd bought that first guardian clone from them.

[john]

John, my method is to take the blade to a belt sander and sand until the serrations are gone. Then run the whole edge across until the cutting edge matches across the whole length of the blade. Then work the stone until sharp. I've actually done this with a work knife that I didn't prize too much. I simply won't buy one for EDC if it features serrations. There are tools available for sharpening them but I'm not interested in bothering with it. If a maker wants my business they can offer a non serrated option.

Good idea!

[Twobit]

Your blade will have an inward curve in it where the serrations were, but if you also take the tang down to match, it won't look too odd. The one I did that to was a cheapo, bought for rough use.

[Billyfish]

I haven't had much trouble using a tapered round file.
I've had this Boker since the mid 90's; it came in handy when I was painting houses, especially when you're 30 feet up on an extension ladder.

[whippersnapper]

If you were painting with it you missed a spot...lol

Seriously, it looks like you got some use out of it. I remember when those Magnums were very popular as one of the best budget auto knives.

As far as sharpening serrated blades, I try to avoid it so wouldn't buy a high dollar user knife with serrations. I do have a Boker Kal 74 almost as rough as the Magnum with serrations that I keep in my hunting pack.

[jerryk25]

Wrap emery cloth, or crocus cloth with cutting rouge around a proper size drill.
hone only the back side . . .eventually you will hone away the serration points into "rounds"
Then start again with a bigger drill size to get the points back.

Spoken as a guy who drew knifes for All-Clad Cookware pots and pans . .
I don't know about "all knives" . . .but at least on common flex blade steak knives . . .
A proper serrated blade only has serrations on one side (button side)

a machine magnetic grinder has a custom cut grindstone of stacked wheels on a shaft.
each cutting wheel has a curve like a bicycle tire. . .
You can order these wheels from catalogs like McMaster-Carr. (they have many catalogs.)
and you can build your own grinder tool. . . . it may not match the existing serration spacing.

To sharpen a serration, you only hone the back side until you do not "see daylight" on the edge.

"See daylight" means notice a glimmer of reflection, presuming there are no "dings"
If you have a "ding" in one of the serration curves, a fine enough metal rat-tail file, then get brave. . .

But at a machine shop, you would wrap emery cloth around a dowel rod. . .or a small drill
and then on the button side only, push the abrasive rod away from the edge (opposite of shaving)
until the "daylight" reflection of the ding turns into a micro-sized metal curl on the back side.

if you don't have emery cloth or crocus cloth. white copier paper might work. with glass stove top polish.
(remember, you are not yet "sharpening". . .you are pushing metal to the far side of the blade.)

When your fingernail drags across the serrations on the back, you will feel a snag on the problem spot.
Then hone the back side of the metal curl off.

Serrated points on a cooking knife do not do the cutting. . it is the inner curve that cuts.
When the knife hits the wood cutting board, only the points touch and dull down fast.
Then the inner curve stays sharp longer than a flat edge knife.

it is not uncommon to see serrations go from points to rounds, and still cut well.

[Billyfish]

These diamond rods work pretty well for dressing the edges.

[tr4252]

This thread got me thinking. I use a Lansky system to sharpen my knives, and maybe round sharpening stones would work. You'd need to find a supplier (McMaster has already been mentioned), and come up with a way to find the right sizes and manage to attach the guide rods with some precision. The Lansky system makes a really uniform bevel and is relatively quick and easy to use.

Personally, I've got no use for serrated blades.

Tom