Best Serrated Knife as a Survival Tool Review and Buying Guide

Introduction

When picking a weapon for self-defense or a gun for survival, it is important to think about some extra devices to get it equipped with. Of course, items of survival gear by themselves are of the topmost essence, but they won’t get you food without some survival skills. A survival backpack’s contents should help you out to remain nourished in the wilderness unless your food supplies or water resources are limitless.

TOP Best Types of Serrated Knives

Let us now take a look at some top brands of serrated knives available on the market. Here are my own TOP-3 options.

Misen Knife

To tell you the truth, the Misen knife is just a classic bread knife. It is suitable for slicing tomatoes and other delicate vegetables – the knife goes smoothly slicing the food. The knife is firm, has a convenient grip, and is pretty big in length. The Misen is not really hefty yet, as the reviews suggest, is comfortable in use. As for the serrations themselves, they are not too pointy.

Speaking about the blades, I can mention that the Japnese Steel does its thing. The serrated edge is truly trustworthy. So, if you are currently searching for a high-quality serrated knife, Misen Knife is the right option for you.

Dexter Russel Basics Scalloped Slicer

To be honest, this knife is not really stylish. But the price of this scalloped teeth knife… it is a really affordable option with high-quality features! Dexter Russel is an experienced cutlery manufacturer, so the knives of this company are magnificent.

The knives of such kind are famous all over the World, and many professional chefs employ the knives with both plain edge and serrated edge during their work. As stated, this Scalloped Slicer wins all of the other knives that are way higher in price. The blade is 10-inch in length, the handle is full-tanged, and the knife is big overall. Therefore, it is perfect for slicing bread (big loaves).

Shun Classic

This knife was designed for those people who have small hands. The handle is really subtle, yet the blade cuts everything with amazing smoothness. The teeth are sharp and wavy, and it is unique for bread knives. So, in case you are starving and desire a sandwich with tomato and mayonnaise, grab the Shun Classic and slice that tomato!

To the point

Each prepper and survivalist knows that such a tool as a knife is an essential thing. It is used for preparing food, making shelter, fighting, hunting, and many other things. Though a sharp blade plain edge knife is a regular one, do not hesitate to look at the knife with a serrated blade. Your bug-out bag requires many knives, that is for sure alongside with snowflake tool!

It is important to mention that a serrated edge knife has a somewhat bad reputation. The thing is that almost everyone has such a knife at home, and it is not great for slicing hard food. Or, for example, have you ever booked a flat at the Airbnb, came to a house, went to the kitchen, and realized that there is only a bread slicer? Learn more about scandi grind in this article.

Nonetheless, serrated knives are really great for cutting a fresh loaf of bread and ripe tomato, soft fruits. So, with a serrated blade knife, you can easily make a sandwich! It is a necessary tool in the kitchen, and serrated edge knives are of those knives that are required for the preparation of certain dishes, as they have very sharp teeth. So, in this way, let us try and find the best serrated blade knives for cooking.

In this article, we will cover the most renowned serrated knives on the market and their features.

Serrated Blades: Methods of Use

As we already discussed, serrated knives with pointed serrations are niche equipment. Of course, they are not as valued as, for instance, a chef’s knife or paring knife, yet when you need one, you NEED one. Moreover, they have various purposes: not only cutting squishy foods and pushing cutting crusty loaf of bread.

Additionally, serrated edge knives are better than plain edge knives in terms of slicing cuts. When the surface area is hard and strong, the serrations will easily cope with the slicing job. An important factor to consider is that the cutting power produced by the serrated edge can be associated with its format. That is exactly why even a dull knife can slice the hard things at ease.

A well-sharpened serrated edge has an advantage over a plain edge because serrations have high points, tips that contact the surface you are cutting first. This is helpful when you a bugging out, trying to find some resources, for example, wood. And cutting wood is way easier with a serrated edge than with a plain edge. Chop-chop! The serrations ‘attack’ the surface with higher pressure at the tips, even with the same force applied on the tools.

And, of course, the main benefit of the serrated blade is that it allows one to cut things with a knife-edge without fear of slipping and harming your hand.

The Most Important Characteristics of a Serrated Edge Knife

There are several characteristics according to which you can decide whether your serrated knife is worthy or not. Let us discuss those questions in detail:

1. Does your knife cut bread and squishy vegetables?

The quality of cutting determines the cutting action of the knife – it is obvious. A high-quality serrated knife cuts cleanly soft bread and tomatoes without damaging the soft insides of the foods. Moreover, such action does not require strong downward pressure – everything should go smoothly, without much effort.

The most efficient serrated blade knives have narrow blades with 16-degree (or below 16) edge angles. In other words, the serrated blades should be very thin, and they will slice nicely with clean cuts. The pointed tips should cut crisply through the top crust of the bread. It should not destroy the soft core of the bread, and it should not break the bottom crust. As for tomatoes, blades knives with thinner serrated blades are also perfect, and they should leave the tomato’s surface glided.

2. Is the serrated knife hefty?

I would suggest you get a knife that has some weight. It should be hefty to cut hard crusts, puff cakes, a tomato, and anything else with a hard exterior and delicate interior. But the knife should not be very weighty. It should sit comfortably in your hand and be convenient in use. You can even find serrated plastic knife if you are lucky. It must be strong, long-lasting, and stable.

3. How are the teeth of the serrated knife shaped?

A serrated blade is just a food saw for home cooks. But you should not perform the sawing motion while cutting your food! This is all due to the shape of your serrated knife’s teeth. For example, the teeth should not be small and rounded, as it is said that such knives are not very efficient. In addition, very pointy teeth are not super suitable for cutting bread, as they will break both the bread crust and delicate inner core.

So, the teeth of the serrated edge should be of a medium length, more like triangle-shaped.

4. Does your knife feel comfortable in hand?

Well, all in all, you will have to use a serrated knife at some point in your life. As for the handles, they should be ergonomic. Such a handle will help you to feel comfortable while gripping the knife. The handle should also be made from a proper material that will not let the knife slip out of your hand.

How to Treat a Knife

In fact, serrated edge differs from other kitchen knives. Yet when it comes to sharpening the blades, there is not much difference. The serrated blades stay sharper longer once the honing and sharpening are done in time. The thing is that even diamond sharpeners and electric sharpeners are not always capable of sharpening serrated blades. But that is OK – the blade will stay sharp for years until it will require maintenance. Make sure to keep your knives: all of them, even with plain edges, at a metal magnetic holder. This way, the blades will not get dull, like they do if they are kept in a drawer.

Another important suggestion is to keep your blade out of the dishwasher. Even though the sharpened blade may have high-quality steel, the peculiarities of the dishwasher would not let the knife stay sharp for a long time. The special mechanisms of the dishwasher are no good for the serrated edge. As an alternative, you can utilize liquid dish soap and clean the knives by yourself. YOu will have to dry out the blade immediately!

Once your new knife is not razor-sharp and no longer can make quick and clean utility work, it is time to sharpen the blade. We would advise bringing the knife to a professional sharpener, as the knife’s features do not let you sharpen it by yourself easily.

Serrated Knife Features: Handles and Bolsters

Although the serrated edge blade is not used frequently (not as regularly as the plain edge blade or polished edge chef’s knife), it is important to control the grip. The saw-like moments and push cutting is dangerous, so you should make sure to grab the knife conveniently. The handle should lay in your hand perfectly.

A bolster can also help one to be more ensured in safety. A bolster is the part of the knife with serrations, and it is utilized as a finger guard and as a place for a tight grip.

Best Serrated Knife Summary

Compared to a plain edge knife, the serrated knife is more suitable for softer materials than harder materials. It will slice your bread perfectly, as well as squishy vegetables. Its main purpose is for kitchen deeds, so we would advise you to get a plain edge one for survival purposes.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

What is a serrated knife used for?

A serrated knife (and partially serrated blade knife) is used to cut and slice soft vegetables and crusty bread, as it produces clean slices. It is a kitchen knife employed by many chefs. In terms of survival, it might be useful while cutting the wood or making slicing cuts. Chopping requires a polished edge, so such a blade will suit perfectly.

Is serrated knife for self-defense?

The knife with serrations is not used for fighting, nor used to scare people. In fact, you can attack or defend yourself with a serrated knife, but only because it is a knife that is razor-sharp. It is a bread knife employed for slicing bread and soft greens. Though, you can use it for chopping wood! The plain edge knife would be more suitable for self-defense in any way.