The most popular steak-knife is narrow, barely flexible, and 4.5 inches long with a straight cut edge that gently sweeps lightly clipped tip. Such bowing extends the part of the most used during the down and slicing, and a leaner tip allow blade for deft penetration when final trimming around a bone is necessary. Steak knives with serrated or wave cut edges are inappropriate for slicing carefully cooked tenderloin and shell steaks. Since these cuts are devoid of tough muscle, the meats are uniformly tender and most easily cut against their grain with a razor-sharp straight edge. Serration is a substitute for sharpness; the teeth will bite and tear with the grain, but you wouldn't cut a steak that way because the sawing action produces ripped rather than clean slices. Steak-knife blades range in length from 4 to 5 inches, are available in the three major knife-making steels, and should be maintained as diligently as any fine knife.
If a serrated knife isn't suitable for slicing prime rib or carving leg of lamb, then why would it be appropriate for the dinner table? The answer is it wouldn't. Utilizing a very keen straight-edged knife is much more genteel, cutting through the fibers of the meat in an effortless manner. To get a feeling for this, use a sharp paring blade the next time you eat a grilled porterhouse. A straight-edged steak knife requires regular maintenance - rubbing against a ceramic plate is one of the most damaging things you can do to the blade - but sharpening it is easy with the right tool. For those in the know, straight-edged steak knives are definitely a desirable item, though they can be pricey.
