Description

• Serrated knives have blades like saws, with different types having different kinds of teeth such as curved or pointed. Plain-edged knives have straight cutting edges and so are called straight edges.
  
  

Function

• Serrated knives saw through food, tearing through it instead of slicing. Straight edges cut through foods and are used for slicing, chopping, and paring.
  
  

Sharpening

• Sharpening straight-edge knives is easier than sharpening serrated knives, but must be done more often. Although you can likely learn to sharpen straight edges properly yourself, sharpening serrated knives is probably best left to professionals.
  
  

Maintenance

• Because of their sharpening requirements, it pays to try to keep serrated knives sharper longer. Wash them by hand so dishwashing detergent doesn't harm the edges. Straight edges need to be sharpened more often than serrated blades.
  
  

Uses

• Serrated blades can saw through foods such as bread and tomatoes. Some can cut through frozen food. Straight edges slice, chop, dice, and cut through foods that take to the procedures without being ruined.