# How to Sharpen Electric Carving and Fillet Knife Blades Source: https://stoneandstrop.com/blog/how-to-sharpen-electric-knife-blades Published: 2026-10-12 Publisher: Stone and Strop Electric carving and fillet knife blades can be touched up with a tapered diamond or ceramic rod: work each serration on the beveled side at its existing angle, then take one light pass on the flat side to remove the burr. Do not run them through a pull-through or electric sharpener, which grinds off the tips of the serrations. Because the two blades slide against each other, the flat inner faces must stay flat. If the teeth are badly worn or bent, a replacement blade set is often the better choice. ## How electric knife blades work An electric knife has two thin blades held together by a rivet or clip that lets them slide along each other. The motor moves them back and forth in opposite directions, so the serrations saw through food. Most carving blades are serrated along the whole edge; many electric fillet knife blades are too, though some have a straight or partly straight edge. The serrations are usually ground on one side only, the outside of each blade, while the inner faces are flat and run against each other. That design is why the blades must be sharpened from the outside only, and why anything that grinds both sides at once does damage. ## What you need A tapered diamond rod or fine ceramic rod is the main tool, ideally one that narrows to about 1/16 inch so it fits the smallest serrations. A fine diamond grit around 600 is a good choice for steel that is dull; a ceramic rod is enough for routine touch-ups. Add a fine stone, ceramic plate or a sheet of fine wet/dry paper on glass for deburring the flat side. Have a towel to rest the blades on and a marker to color the bevel. The marker shows which part of each serration you are hitting, which is the hardest thing to judge by eye on small teeth. [Compare tapered rods](https://stoneandstrop.com/best/best-serrated-knife-sharpener) ## Step-by-step: sharpening the blades Unplug the knife and remove the blades. Many sets can be separated by sliding the rivet out of its slot; if yours cannot, sharpen them together, working the outer face of each blade in turn. Lay the blade on a towel with the beveled side up. Find the angle of the existing bevel on each serration, usually steeper than a plain kitchen edge; color it with a marker. Place the tapered rod in the first scallop, choosing the point on the taper that fills the curve, and match the angle of the bevel. Stroke outward toward the edge, rotating the rod slightly, 3 to 5 light strokes per scallop until the ink is gone and you feel a small burr on the flat side. Repeat for each scallop along the blade. It is slow, but each stroke is quick. Work in good light and count the scallops as you go, or move the marker from one scallop to the next as a bookmark. Give each one the same number of strokes. Uneven work leaves some teeth taller than others, and the tallest teeth then do all the cutting and dull first. ## Remove the burr and reassemble Turn the blade over and lay its flat inner face completely flat on a fine stone, ceramic plate or fine paper. Make one or two very light strokes along the length, no more. The aim is only to knock off the burr. Tilting the blade or adding strokes would put a bevel on the inner face, and the blades would no longer slide tightly against each other. Repeat for the second blade, then reassemble the set exactly as it came apart. Test on a piece of bread or a cooked roast. If the knife tears at one spot, find and touch up that scallop. ## What not to do, and when to replace Do not use pull-through, electric or rolling sharpeners on electric knife blades. They grind both faces and flatten the tips of the serrations, leaving a blade that slips and tears. Do not sharpen the flat inner face beyond deburring, and do not try to grind out bent or broken teeth. Electric knife blades are thin and inexpensive. If several teeth are bent, the tip is broken, or the blades no longer lie flat against each other, a new blade set from the manufacturer usually costs less than the time a full repair would take, and the knife will cut like new. ## Keeping electric knife blades sharp Cut on a wooden or plastic board, never on a platter or a cutting surface made of glass or stone, and avoid contact with bones, which bend the teeth. Wash the blades by hand and dry them before reattaching, and store them in the case or sleeve they came in. Because serrations do most of their cutting on the points, a well-kept electric knife blade only needs sharpening every year or two in a home kitchen. A quick ceramic rod touch-up on the bevel side before the holidays is often all it needs. [Ceramic rods for touch-ups](https://stoneandstrop.com/best/best-knife-sharpening-rod) ## Frequently asked questions Can electric knife blades be sharpened? Yes, with a tapered rod on the beveled side of each serration and a light deburring pass on the flat side. Badly worn or bent blades are better replaced. Can I put electric knife blades through a knife sharpener? No. Pull-through and electric sharpeners grind the flat inner face and flatten the serrations, which ruins the sawing action of the paired blades. How do I sharpen electric fillet knife blades? The same way as carving blades if they are serrated. If the blade has a straight section, sharpen that part on a fine stone or rod on the beveled side only, keeping the inner face flat. Do I need to separate the blades to sharpen them? It helps, but it is not required. If the blades will not separate, sharpen the outer face of each blade in turn with the set held together. ## Gear guides for this topic - https://stoneandstrop.com/best/best-serrated-knife-sharpener - https://stoneandstrop.com/best/best-knife-sharpening-rod - https://stoneandstrop.com/best/best-fillet-knife-sharpener