Sharpening a bread knife is different than sharpening traditional knives because a bread knife is serrated. It has teeth. Bread knives get dull over time like any other knife. A lot of people just buy new bread knives, mainly because they don't know they can sharpen them. Instead of purchasing a new one and throwing out the dull one, you can learn sharpen your dull bread knife so it's like new again. Just follow these steps.
Instructions
1. Purchase a sharpening stick. Most knife sets will come with one, but some people buy their knives separately and will not have a sharpening stick. You can find some sharpening sticks at the website under the additional resources or anywhere that you purchase your knives.
2. Wash and dry both your knife and your sharpening stick. Starting with a dirty knife can make things hard to see.
3. Hold your knife in one hand, by the handle, with the teeth pointing outward to your other hand.
4. Hold your sharpening stick in the other hand by the handle.
5. Line your sharpening stick up with the first valley (the dip in between the points), closest to the handle of the knife.
6. Pull the sharpening stick down quickly a few times. Make sure that you are keeping the sharpening stick in the valley for each pass, only removing it to reset it at the bottom of the stick.
7. Move the sharpening stick to the next valley. Repeat step 6.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until you have finished sharpening the last valley.
9. Switch hands, putting the knife in the opposite hand and the sharpening stick in the hand that previously held the knife. Make sure the teeth are facing your other hand.
10. Repeat steps 5 through 8, until you have finished the last tooth.
11. Wash the knife.
Tags: sharpening stick, your sharpening stick, bread knife, other hand, your sharpening, hand handle