How to jimp or serrate a knife blade?

29th February 2020


	How to jimp or serrate a knife blade


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			As with many other filing techniques, the concept behind this process is simple, but its execution can be tricky.

			Jimping is cut into the back of a knife blade to allow for improved grip.

			A serrated knife has a series of grooves cut into its blade that cause part of it to act like a saw. This is advantageous when cutting tough materials such as rope.



			Step 1 – Secure knife in vice Secure your knife in the vice by the blade. If you’re worried about causing damage to the file’s handle, you can protect it by wrapping it in a thick piece of cloth.

			Step 2 – Begin filing Keeping the file at 90° to the blade, push and pull the file forwards and backwards, applying light pressure.

			You don’t need to pull the file off to one side as you would with cross filing, and the file will cut on both the push and the draw stroke.

			Step 3 – Relocate file If you want to jimp or serrate an area on your knife that is wider than your file, line up the final groove in your knife with the the first groove on your file and repeat the process. This will help you to make sure the jimping or serrations remain consistently spaced.

			At a push, it’s possible to jimp or serrate a knife by cutting a series of evenly spaced notches with a taper saw file or three square file. However, as it is very difficult to guarantee consistency and you can only cut one notch at a time, this is not recommended.