Steak Knife Used For Bread

[andy-hughes]

Our bread knife has snapped, so pending the time when one of us remembers to buy a new one, we are managing with the one from a knife set we had as a wedding present.

I don't like it, and far prefer using a sereted edge steak knife which does the job perfectly well.

The present Mrs Hughes advises that cutting bread with a steak knife will dull the edge - I find this hard to believe.

Is she correct?

[anneasquith]

Ohhhhh, that would be a question for management to answer .

[tonyav]

Well a bread knife has a serrated blade like a steak knife, only difference is that a bread knife blade is longer. So andy I don't think that cutting bread would dull the blade.

[Old_Geezer]

And it can't be sharpened ?

Anyway, probably time to break bread.

[Tashi]

We have a hand held sharpener our the kitchen that does all blades serrated or straight so do not see a problem.

[IJKLM]

Using any blade to cut any material will dull the blade. The question is, how fast, and can the blade be refreshed.

In general, even serrated knives can be refreshed, using a steel, or other sharpening tool.

All non-serrated knives can be refreshed (sharpened).

I don't know what type of steak knife you are using, but mine are non-serrated blades (Wüsthof), in semi-stainless steel

Personally, I prefer using a non-serrated edge, even for bread (yes, I keep my knives super-sharp), but most bread knives are the serrated type that don't need to be sharpened very often (or ever).

The upshot is that your short steak knife will lose its edge a bit quicker than a longer bread knife. And the steak knife is probably a slightly softer steel, designed to be sharpened multiple times.

As with all knives, when it get a bit blunt (if it will no longer slice a ripe tomato without crushing it), then you need to refresh/sharpen the blade.

Hope it helps

[andy-hughes]

Thanks all.