

You have some choices, other than the obvious choice of simply buying two knives.

However, you can only use one blade at a time, so what if you need both a serrated blade and a smooth blade for your utility knife? Utility knives are meant to be the workhorse cutters, to cut whatever needs cutting. What If You Need a Utility Knife That Does It All? When you need a serrated blade, there is no substitute (albeit, you can “cut” thick string without a knife if you’re really in a bind, but having the right tool is always preferable). However, it doesn’t work the other way around-for instance, you can’t cut through drywall or twine with a smooth blade. So, in many cases, you can use a serrated edge to cut the same sorts of materials a smooth blade will cut-if you don’t care about making that ragged edge. You can use them for softer, easier-to-cut materials-like cardboard-but you won’t get a clean cut. The cuts of these toothy blades leave a rough edge and are less precise than a straight blade. Common items that serrated blades are good for include: Serrated knives work well for tough and fibrous materials-any material that you need to saw through. What Do You Use a Serrated Utility Knife For? Common kitchen knives that feature a serrated edge include bread knives and tomato-cutting knives. They’re similar to a saw blade, but with slightly less aggressive teeth. Serrated blades feature a notched or toothed blade edge. From a design standpoint, a straight blade is just what it sounds like: a blade with a straight or smooth edge, like a razor blade. Serrated Blade Versus Straight Bladeīefore diving into specific uses of a serrated blade, let’s be clear on what it is and how it differs from a straight blade. If you’re wondering, “What is a serrated utility knife used for?” read on and see if your materials will require this kind of tough cutting tool. These blades cut most materials, which is why they’re the standard go-to style. The other blade-edge option, which is more common, is a straight or smooth blade. It’s important to understand serrated utility knife uses when you’re searching for a cutting tool, because this will help you determine whether or not you need this kind of blade edge.
