Why is stainless steel steak knife used at the table always serrate?

The steak knife is one of the most special utensils in Western food - it is almost the only table knife with a universal serration. Why are butter knives, fish knives, and dessert knives all flat-edged, but steak knives are designed to be serrated? This is driven not only by scientific mechanics, but also by history and business.

Firstly, why are other table knives flat, but only steak knives are serrate?

Because the use determines the design of the table knife

Butter knives: Blades are blunt and flat with wide blades, used for spreading rather than cutting, and are mainly used to spread butter onto bread.

Fish knife: Thin and flexible, it is suitable for separating delicate fish flesh and picking out fish bones.

Main Dinner Knife (Non-Steak): The flat blade is not as sharp as a steak knife and is suitable for cutting cooked vegetables and soft meats.

Steak knife used at the table: A sharp, serrated blade that specializes in tough meat fibers.

The peculiarities of the steak dictate that it requires a serrated knife:

Doneness affects meat quality: Medium- or medium-rare steaks still retain more muscle fibers inside, making them more difficult to cut than well-cooked steaks.

Muscle fiber orientation: The fibers of a steak are tightly arranged, the flat-edged knife is prone to slipping, and the serrations can "bite" and tear the fibers.

Dining table usage scenario: Ordinary people will not be as precise as professional chefs when dining, and the sawtooth design can make up for the lack of skill.

Secondly, the mechanical advantages of the serrated steak knife

1. Fight against "fiber toughness"

The muscle fibers of the steak are like a tight bundle of rope, and the flat-edged knife is easy to slide along the fibers when cutting, resulting in laborious cutting of the meat and squeezing and deformation of the meat pieces.

Serrated knives: Each serration is a miniature cutting point that "hooks" the fibers like a small saw and cuts off progressively, reducing slippage.

Experimental comparison: Cutting the same medium-rare steak with a flat-edged knife and a serrated knife, the flat-bladed knife needs to be sawed back and forth, while the serrated knife can be neatly cut in a few clicks.

2. Reduce cutting pressure

When cutting with a flat-edged knife made by a professional cutlery manufacturer, the entire blade is stressed at the same time, which requires a large amount of downforce.

Serrated knives have a smaller contact area and more pressure (similar to pinching with a fingernail versus pressing with a palm), so they require less effort.

Ideal for women or children, it is easy to cut meat with one hand.

3. Higher passivation tolerance

Once a flat-edged knife becomes dull (e.g. rubbed multiple times on a porcelain plate), the cutting efficiency drops dramatically, or even fails completely.

Even if the serrated knife is partially worn, the remaining serration will still work and prolong the service life.

That's why steak knives in budget restaurants are generally serrated – reducing maintenance costs.

Thirdly, 20th century: The rise of Western restaurants solidified serrated steak knives

Before the 19th century, Europeans mainly used flat-edged knives to cut meat, and even directly grasped them by hand (forks were popularized later). But after the Industrial Revolution:

The popularity of stainless steel (after the 1910s) made serration more feasible, and serrated knives began to be mass-produced.

The standardization of Western restaurants (mid-20th century) required a set of efficient, low-maintenance cutlery, and serrated steak knives became standard because of their practicality.

The push for restaurant chains, such as American steakhouses after the 1950s, demanded durable, low-cost cutlery, and serrated knives were a perfect fit.