Buy the Spyderco Sharpmaker if you want one tool for serrated and straight knives, and the DMT Diafold serrated sharpener if you just need to bring a bread knife back. If you'd rather not sharpen by hand at all, the Chef'sChoice 15XV's third stage handles serrated blades. The thing that matters with any of them is whether it reaches the scallops, the curved valleys between the teeth. A straight slot only touches the points. To do it by hand, see how to sharpen a bread knife.
Quick picks
| Best overall | Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker | Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Best tapered rod | DMT Diafold Serrated Sharpener (FSKF) | Amazon |
| Best electric | Chef'sChoice Trizor XV (15XV) | Amazon |
| Best manual pull-through | Chef'sChoice Pronto 463 | Amazon |
| Best for pocket and partly serrated knives | Lansky Blademedic | Amazon |
| Best budget rod | AccuSharp Diamond Tapered Rod (050C) | Amazon |
| Best for a mixed workshop | Work Sharp MK2 | Amazon |
How we picked
We started from Amazon's results for "serrated knife sharpener" and "knife sharpener" on October 15, 2026, with bought-in-the-past-month counts and rating totals, then checked each listing's abrasive and shape with our product tool. The deciding question for every pick was whether its abrasive can follow a scallop. America's Test Kitchen's serrated-knife testing was the main outside check: its team found serrated-specific gadgets disappointing, regular honing steels useless on serrations, and only two Chef'sChoice models that reached the valleys. This is a spec review; we didn't run these sharpeners ourselves.
Why serrated knives need a different sharpener
A serrated edge is a row of small curved scallops with points between them. The points hit the food first and do the grabbing, which is why bread knives stay usable for years. The scallops do the slicing, and they're what goes dull. Most serrated kitchen knives are ground on one side only, with the other side flat.
That's the whole buying decision, laid out by tool:
| Tool | Points | Scallops | Burr on the flat side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapered diamond or ceramic rod | Yes | Yes, one at a time | Light pass with the rod laid flat |
| Sharpmaker (rounded stone corners) | Yes | Yes, all at once if they're big enough | Yes, flat face of the stone |
| Electric flexible disk stage | Yes | Mostly | Handled by the alternating slots |
| Straight carbide or ceramic slot | Yes | No | No |
| Smooth honing steel | Skips | No | No |
| Flat whetstone | Grinds them down | No | Yes, flat side only |
The 7 best sharpeners for serrated knives
Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker
The triangle stones sit in a base at a fixed angle and you draw the knife straight down them, holding it vertical. For serrations you use the corners, which are rounded on purpose, per Spyderco's listing, so they drop into the scallops while the flat faces deal with plain edges and the burr. It's the one tool here that does serrated bread knives, plain chef's knives and scissors with the same motion. Our Sharpmaker review covers the add-on diamond stones for neglected edges.
- Angles30° and 40° inclusive (15° and 20° per side)
- Stonesmedium brown and fine white alumina ceramic
- Serratedrounded stone corners
- Extrasaluminum safety rods
- Warranty2 years
Why it stands out
- Same easy stroke for serrated and straight edges
- Guided angle, so the scallop bevel stays consistent
- 5,000+ ratings, 4.7 stars
Think twice if
- Ceramic is slow on a very dull or chipped knife
- Only two angles; very small micro-serrations are too tight for the corners
DMT Diafold Serrated Sharpener (FSKF)
A diamond cone that tapers from a quarter inch down to a sixteenth, so you slide it into each scallop until it fills the curve and work there. That taper fits the big scallops of a bread knife and the smaller ones on a good steak knife. The fine 600-mesh diamond sharpens without being harsh, and the handles fold over the rod for the drawer. America's Test Kitchen didn't test this one; we picked it because the cone shape is exactly what the method in our serrated knife how-to calls for.
- Shape4-inch cone, 1/4 to 1/16 inch
- Abrasivefine diamond, 25 micron (600 mesh)
- Usedry or with water
- Handlesfold to cover the rod
- Made inUSA
Why it stands out
- Fits a wide range of scallop sizes
- Diamond cuts hard steel that ceramic struggles with
- Folds up, weighs next to nothing
Think twice if
- Fine grit only: slow on a badly worn edge
- One scallop at a time on a long bread knife takes patience
Chef'sChoice Trizor XV (15XV)
The one electric sharpener America's Test Kitchen trusts with serrations, because its third stage is a flexible abrasive disk that bends into the scallops instead of grinding across the points. Chef'sChoice's manual says to sharpen serrated knives in Stage 3 alone, five to ten pairs of pulls, and never in Stages 1 and 2. If the rest of your knives need sharpening too, this is the easiest way to keep the whole block done. The details are in our Trizor XV review.
- Stages3 (diamond, diamond, flexible polishing disk)
- Angle15°
- SerratedStage 3 only
- Knives listedchef's, santoku, bread, serrated, fillet and more
- Salesabout 4,000 last month
Why it stands out
- Handles serrated and straight knives with no technique
- Best-selling electric sharpener in our search, 14,000+ ratings
Think twice if
- Converts straight knives to 15 degrees, which removes steel the first time
- A lot of money if the bread knife is your only problem
Chef'sChoice Pronto 463
America's Test Kitchen's favorite manual sharpener for serrations. The diamond wheels sit at a crossed angle and the slot lets the blade ride up and down as each tooth passes, so the abrasive reaches into the scallops rather than skating over the points. ATK's summary of the manual's serrated method: as few Stage 1 strokes as possible, then about five back-and-forth pairs in Stage 2. If your straight knives are 20-degree German ones, the Chef'sChoice 4643 with 15 and 20-degree slots also lists serrated knives.
- Stages2 (diamond sharpen, diamond hone/polish)
- Angle15°
- Knife typestraight edge and serrated
- Warranty1-year limited
Why it stands out
- Compact and fast, no plug
- Named by ATK specifically for serrated blades
Think twice if
- 15 degrees only
- Fewer owner ratings (about 2,000) than the big-name pull-throughs
Lansky Blademedic
Four sharpeners in a pocket-size metal body, and two of them are for serrations: a ceramic serration slot and a fold-out tapered diamond rod at 600 grit that locks closed with a magnet. That combination suits a pocket knife with a partly serrated edge, where you sharpen the plain section in the slots and the teeth on the rod. With 17,000+ ratings it's one of the most-owned small sharpeners on Amazon.
- Toolscarbide slot, ceramic slot (1,000), ceramic serration sharpener (800), tapered diamond rod (600)
- Bodymetal
- Size3.25 x 1.77 in
- Warranty1 year
Why it stands out
- Plain and serrated sections handled in one tool
- Tapered diamond rod folds away
Think twice if
- Rod is short for a 10-inch bread knife
- The carbide slot is coarse; keep it away from good kitchen knives
AccuSharp Diamond Tapered Rod (050C)
A small tapered diamond rod from the company behind the best-selling handheld sharpener on Amazon. At 280 grit it's the coarsest rod here, which helps when a bread knife has gone truly dull and slows the work less than a fine rod would. Follow it with a few light passes on something finer, or a strop, so the scallops don't stay rough.
- Abrasivediamond-coated steel, 280 grit
- Shapetapered cone with hook groove
- Handlerubber grip, pocket clip
Why it stands out
- Cheap enough to keep in the knife drawer
- Coarse diamond restores a neglected edge quickly
Think twice if
- Coarse finish unless you follow it with a finer tool
- Small handle; fiddly on long knives
Work Sharp MK2
Work Sharp says the MK2's flexible belts conform to the edge, serrations included, and the same machine does lawn mower blades and axes. That's the case for it: if you also sharpen garden and shop tools, one machine covers the serrated knives too. It's a lot of tool for a single bread knife, and a belt can take steel off fast, so start on the fine belt.
- Typepowered belt sharpener
- Beltsflexible, conform to serrated edges
- Motor2-speed
- Edge guidesupports knife to the tip
- Warranty3 years
Why it stands out
- One machine for knives and shop tools
- 3-year warranty, 8,000+ ratings
Think twice if
- Overkill for kitchen-only use
- Needs a light touch; belts remove steel quickly
What about pull-throughs with a "serrated" slot?
Plenty of cheap sharpeners promise serrated knives. The AccuSharp lists them, and the Orange Ninja 4-stage has a dedicated serrated slot. A straight carbide V does what the diagram shows, though: it runs along the tips. That freshens the points and can make a bread knife grab again for a while, which is why owners like them. Do it often and the points get shorter and flatter, and the scallops never get sharpened. Fine for a cheap knife you'll replace. For a good one, use a rod.
Side-by-side comparison
| Sharpener | Reaches scallops | Abrasive | Also does straight knives | Skill needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spyderco Sharpmaker | Yes | Ceramic | Yes | Low |
| DMT Diafold FSKF | Yes | Fine diamond | Touch-ups | Medium |
| Chef'sChoice 15XV | Mostly | Diamond, flexible disk | Yes (15°) | None |
| Chef'sChoice Pronto 463 | Mostly | Diamond | Yes (15°) | None |
| Lansky Blademedic | Yes (rod) | Carbide, ceramic, diamond | Yes | Low |
| AccuSharp tapered rod | Yes | 280 diamond | Field touch-ups | Medium |
| Work Sharp MK2 | Yes | Flexible belts | Yes | Medium |
Which one for your knife
| Knife | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Bread knife, big scallops | DMT Diafold or Sharpmaker | The scallops are big enough for the cone or the stone corner to fill |
| Good serrated steak knives | DMT Diafold, small end of the cone | Small scallops need a thin rod |
| Cheap micro-serrated steak knives | Replace them | No rod fits the teeth, and a new set costs less than the sharpener |
| Partly serrated pocket knife | Lansky Blademedic or Sharpmaker | Both handle the plain and serrated sections |
| A whole block, serrated included, no handwork | Chef'sChoice 15XV | Stage 3 for the serrated knives, all three stages for the rest |
| Knives plus garden and shop tools | Work Sharp MK2 | Flexible belts follow serrations and also do mowers and axes |
What to look for
Shape comes first. The abrasive has to be round or curved, and small enough at its tip to fit your smallest scallop. A cone like the DMT's covers several sizes; a straight-sided rod only fits one. Push the rod into a scallop: if it fills the curve without spreading it, it's the right size at that point.
Grit second. Fine diamond (around 600) or ceramic is right for a bread knife that has just gone a bit dull. A coarser rod like the AccuSharp's 280 helps on a neglected edge but leaves a rougher finish. Serrated knives dull slowly, so most people only need the fine tool.
Then the bevel. Sharpen only the ground side, at the angle that's already there, and lay the rod or stone flat against the other side for a pass or two to knock off the burr. The full step-by-step is in how to sharpen a serrated knife, and the general method for slot sharpeners is in how to use a knife sharpener.
Skip the regular honing steel for these knives. ATK found the edge skips across it. Our honing rod guide and ceramic vs steel rods are for your straight knives. If you're also shopping for scissors, the best scissor sharpener guide covers the steeper bevel they need.
If you only buy one
Get the Sharpmaker if you have more than one or two serrated knives, or a pocket knife with teeth: it does them and everything else with the same simple stroke. For a single bread knife, the DMT Diafold is the cheap, correct tool, and a session every year or two keeps the knife going. For other options for straight knives, the manual pull-through picks show which ones also list serrated blades.
Sources: America's Test Kitchen, The Best Way to Sharpen a Serrated Knife; Chef'sChoice Model 15 Trizor XV instructions (EdgeCraft); Spyderco, Lansky, DMT, AccuSharp and Work Sharp Amazon listings. Ratings and specs from Amazon, checked October 15, 2026. How we research · Affiliate disclosure