Dee Randall wrote:
> "Sheldon" > wrote:
> >
> > Stark wrote:
> >> I'm a crock stick honer with a couple of
> >> Wustof knives, some serated for bread, tomatoes, etc.
> >
> > Bread knives are not serrated, they're scalloped.
>
> I was looking at knives the other day online and was wondering why the bread
> knives were 'scalloped' as I did not see any serrated. Thanks for clearing
> that up.

Professional bread slicing machines such as those used in bakeries use
the same scalloped blades. There are various configurations and spacing
of the scallops, each for a different type of bread texture... if you
seach for <bread slicing blades> you should find some interesting
reading.

Serrated knives are more saw-like, they're typically used for steak by
folks who don't know better... the sole purpose is to prevent dulling
of a real knife from contact with the plate, whereas only the high
points make contact, they act like bumpers. If you use an ordinary
blade on a plate it will become extremely dull and quite rapidly...
which is why folks who really know steak and know knives prefer eating
from wooden thenchers, then they can use very sharp knives without
ruining the edge, and not tear up the meat the way serrated knives
will.... many a good steak is totally "butchered" by use of serrated
knives. Anytime you visit a steakhouse and they serve on hard plates
with serrated knives you can just bet they know absolutely zero about
steak. The very worst offenders are those that serve steak on those
stupid metal thingies... allows them to get away with tough gristly
meat by providing a knife tantamount to a dulled chainsaw.

The scallops of bread knives are to effectively extend the length of
the cutting edge by about double and to present the correct angle of
attack and at the same time produce as few crumbs as possible. Using a
serrated blade to cut bread is as effective as using a wood saw,
tearing instead of slicing and producing many crumbs. There is no such
thing as a good serrated knife, in fact I wouldn't classify them as
cutlery.

Sheldon