Steak knives

American style

Specialized steak knives emerged in the United States after World War II. Prior to World War I, all table knives were sharp, but required frequent upkeep—sharpening and polishing. With the decline in numbers of domestic workers, this upkeep became less feasible. Stainless steel became widespread following World War I. This did not require polishing, but did require sharpening due to manufacturing limits. After World War II, serrated stainless steel steak knives which required neither polishing nor frequent sharpening were commercially successful. In the 1950s heat treatment of stainless steel was introduced, allowing knives to remain sufficiently sharp without needing serrations, but by this point serrated steak knives had become well established and continued to be used.