Important Things To Consider When Buying A Serrated Knife

When buying a serrated knife in Australia, there are a lot of things you need to consider. While the market today offers serrated edges on different types of knives, two main types of serrated knives are useful in the kitchen. Bread knives that are long and thin are indispensable for breaking through the crusts of old-style bread and slicing soft home-style bread without creating a mess out of the bread. They can also be handy for cutting cakes into layers.

Serrated knives are sometimes called tomato knives and they can be very useful for a number of jobs. A good sharp serrated chef knife slices a tomato better than any other knife. So, when it comes to choosing the right serrated knife, here are a few things you need to consider.

Blade

When choosing bread knives, it is important to choose thin and rectangular blades that are between 15 cm and 30 cm in length. On the other hand, when choosing tomato knives, you should go for shorter knives. Consider choosing knives that are around 15cm with a sharp point. Some serrated tomato knives have forked tips that help you pick up slices of tomatoes once you have chopped them. However, some professional chefs find these unnecessary and ineffective.

The best knives for slicing bread are either made from high carbon stainless steel or with laminated blades made of a piece of high carbon steel between two layers of soft stainless steels. Both knives are sharp and can hold an edge for a long time and won’t pit, rust or react with acidic ingredients and foods. However, since serrated knives are hard to sharpen, we suggest you buy serrated knives that are cheap unless you have access to a professional who can sharpen the knife.

Edge

The market is full of different types of serrated knives. Serrations may be scalloped, saw-toothed, wavy or any combination of the three. A lot of manufacturers patent their serration patterns and market lines of kitchen knives around them. You should choose a knife that has scalloped serrations as the soft teeth tend to damage your food less when cutting.

Bolster

The bolster of the knife is the transition point between the blade of the knife and the handle. Western knives have bolsters that come with a finger guard from the handle to the heel of the blade. This provides a more secure and stable grip. Bolsters on Japanese kitchen knives have no finger guard. They serve as a handle extension. Japanese serrated knives are designed to be held differently, with a pinch grip.

Handle

When choosing a serrated knife in Australia, it is important to consider the handle of the knife. When choosing a proper handle, you should choose a full tang. A tang is the part of the blade that serves as the core of the handle. Full tangs can be seen running down the handle’s centre all the way to the knife’s hilt, although they can be fully encased in rubber.