> Cheaper knives don't always take well to sharpening and most folks don't know how to sharpen knives. I'm sort of a sharpening fanatic (I have an apex sharpen

> Cheaper knives don't always take well to sharpening and most folks don't know how to sharpen knives. I'm sort of a sharpening fanatic (I have an apex sharpener) so I just generally reach for my big chef's knife, or my little paring knife for detail work. Sharpening serrated knives is quite unpleasant though, I don't like doing it at all. > Most home cooks get a easier slice with a serrated blade than the smooth, simply because the smooth-edged knife must be sharp to slice through the skins. But a smooth-edged knife actually slices, the serrated knife pulls and tears. I usually have a couple of tomatoes on hand when I'm sharpening my knives, just to make sure I'm happy with the edge I put on them.