Though I’m not a real fan of serrated blades, serrated bread knives solve a very special problem. Bread, sandwiches and pastries all offer real challenges to cutting tools, but bread is special. Bread can be hard, soft, tough and tender all at the same time. Designing a blade to slice all that cleanly is the reason the bread knife nearly always sports a serrated edge.
Most bread knives can’t be sharpened at home. Though some companies do claim the lifetime of the cutting edge to be nearly permanent, all will eventually require service. Many manufacturers offer free sharpening — if you’ll pay shipping to and from the factory. The good news is that modern stainless steel bread knives do keep that edge a long time if you care for them properly. Store them in a wood block to protect the teeth. Wash and dry the knives by hand, not in a machine; and when cutting on a plate or serving tray, make that last cut with just the tip.
Length is also important, especially if you bake at home and experiment with round loaves. The blade should be longer than the loaf is wide. Only movement back and forth through the loaf does the work without crushing the bread. Another perk to consider, especially if you frequently build sandwiches at work or at home, is an offset blade. The crook in the tang lifts the handle above the cutting board, presenting the edge perfectly all the way through without running out of knuckle room.
Professional quality often means it works without maintenance, and that’s what this knife — the F. Dick Bread Knife with Offset Blade — does. It’s economical to replace when dull and big enough for sandwiches and rolls.
Victorinox offers this higher quality R.H. Forschner 10 inch bread knife in a choice of handles: either frugal black Fibrox or naturally stable and beautiful rosewood.
With a 10.5 inch blade and a special sawtooth pattern you can sharpen at home with just an ordinary whetstone, our choice for the best bread knife is the MAC SB-105.