The Norpro 370 Bread Slicer and Guide offers a row of parallel slots spaced to match the standard 1/2-inch-thick slice of sandwich bread. Set the home-baked loaf of bread between the guides, and lay the bread knife in the slot. The slot keeps the knife blade running true all the way to the bottom of the crust. Most crumbs fall into the crumb-catcher base. Just turn the Slicer Guide over to empty the crumbs. The slots yield eight slices in one setting, but just slide the remaining section of loaf against the guide's acrylic end stop to keep cutting perfect slices.

Since there's no way to adjust the guide, you'll have to settle for cutting bread loaves that match it. If your loaf rises higher than the guide's top, the first part of the cut depends on your skill alone. Loaves wider than the 6-3/4-inch guide box simply won't fit. Adjusting recipes to create loaves that fit is certainly possible. An eight-inch-long bread knife blade won't provide a lot of guided cutting edge in this slicer, but a ten-inch bread knife blade allows a back-and-forth slicing movement of about two inches without leaving the guides.

The Norpro 370 Bread Slicer and Guide uses small screws to hold the acrylic guides to the wooden base. That's not much support, and a careless move with the knife could cause problems. The soft wood in the crumb catcher also damages easily if you drag a serrated blade across the slats. If you're used to a hardwood cutting board designed to take abuse, you'll need to adjust your technique to use the Norpro 370.

For a bread knife long enough to work well with this guide, see the R.H. Forschner Bread Knife.

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The most simple reason you'll like this knife is length. A 10-inch cutting edge works much better on home-baked bread than an 8-inch blade. Rustic loaves find their own dimensions, and the more blade you have, the more able you are to deal with those home-baked shapes. Actually slicing the bread calls for something that grips better than the smooth edge of a slicing knife, but not all serration patterns work smoothly on hard crusts. Sharp points tend to sink and tear as the blade cuts, but the rounded teeth on this knife drop into the work without ripping the crust.

You'll value the good looks of this knife as much as its efficiency. Damascus-style steel creates a blade with a beautiful rippled texture, showing the thin layers of high carbon stainless steel that give extra strength to the harder core layer of SG-2 steel. SG-2 gives the knife a long-lasting cutting edge with more toughness than the hard but fragile SG-1 that's standard in other Shun cutlery. If you do happen to drag the edge across a hard surface while cutting, you're less likely to chip the teeth of this knife.

Handle slabs of Pakka-wood give the full-tang grip the look of Brazilian rose wood, but increase the knife's durability. With proper care, including careful use and hand washing, the cutting edge could last for years. Pair the knife with a compatible cutting board of poly, hardwood, or bamboo to extend the life of the edge.

See the Wusthof Gourmet Bread Knife for a more utilitarian style of bread knife.

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For hard-crusted rolls and French breads, nothing works better than a serrated knife. For that first difficult cut, you need something that grabs and cuts at the same time. The scalloped cutting edge of the G-9 is almost 9 inches long and does an excellent job, giving smooth results in all types of baked goods. With a clean cut, you'll get more accurate slices and won't disturb the shape of the product.

The drawback to serrated knives is maintenance. Most home chefs don't own the equipment you'd need to restore a dulled serrated blade, so the alternative is to use this knife properly and not abuse the cutting edge. Global recommendations include storing the knife in a wooden storage block to prevent dulling the edge against other kitchen tools, and never putting the knife through a dishwasher. All Global knives clean up easily by hand since the all-stainless construction is seamless and smooth. Don't use the knife on glass or ceramic servingware or cutting boards, and be careful of that last cut through the bottom crust. Lift the handle a bit and make that last stroke with the tip of the blade.

See the Forschner Curved Serrated Bread Knife for a good bread knife for smaller loaves and rolls.

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Using tips from the philosophy of German celebrity Chef Tim Malzer, the Premier TM knives use the best of Japanese technology but applied in a more European style. In the bread knife, you'll find Shun's famous 33-layer Damask steel, made in the tradition of fine samurai swords with 16 layers of tough high carbon stainless steel sandwiching a single thin central layer of SG-10. By itself, this hardened cutting edge couldn't hold up to the work of prepping -- but braced by the softer steel layers, the knife presents the best qualities of both types of steel. Serrations in the SG-10 sink quickly through hard crusted breads and rolls, and the thin blade slips through the soft interior without tearing. There's less drag because the rippled steel layers reduce contact with the bread. The unique hand-hammered tsuchime finish of the blade cuts drag even more.

Built with a grip of walnut Pakkawood, resin-injected to prevent distortion by humidity and protect against both heat and abrasion, this knife conforms to western grip standards. Filling the hollows of the palm comfortably, the grip feels secure and gives complete control of the knife. A stainless steel bolster and end cap reinforce the handle. Shun's trademark is embossed in the end cap's steel.

For a knife with a similar style of blade but designed to fit the ordinary budget, see the Forschner Victorinox Bread Knife.

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This nicely balanced bread knife uses one blank of high carbon stainless steel to form a one-piece full tang knife with a solid stainless steel bolster. Although the knife is manufactured in Japan, the handle design meets European standards. Triple-riveted handle slabs of black polymer are permanently bonded to the knife's tang, matching the angled bolster with gap-free precision.

Chef Masaharu Morimoto -- famous for his fusion blend of Japanese, European, and Asian cuisines -- designed the 600-S series of knives for Miyabi. Chef Morimoto recommends this knife for western chefs new to Japanese blades, who prefer familiar grips instead of the traditional Japanese handle styles. The Friodur steel used in this bread knife also has familiar qualities, since it's the same steel -- hardened to Rockwell 57 for toughness and easy sharpening -- that Henckels uses in its German-made cutlery.

Each 600-S knife is produced by Japanese craftsmen and finished with a traditional three-stage honing process. The razor-sharp edge serrations should be long-lived if the knife is used with care. Don't dull the edge by drawing the knife across glass or ceramic. Use plastic or wooden cutting boards beneath hard-crusted rolls and breads.

For a smaller European-style bread knife, see the 8-inch Victorinox Forged Bread Knife.

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The serrated edge of this blade isn't the standard sawtooth type usually found on knives meant for cutting through hard crusts and soft loaves. Victorinox redesigned the edge for a cutting action that's less prone to tear into the bread. The wavy teeth don't bite as aggressively but do cut smoothly. You might notice that the knife takes longer to start on hard crusts, but it also doesn't depend so much on the points of the teeth for cutting. The tooth style exposes more cutting edge and should provide clean cutting action throughout the lifetime of the edge. When it's time to sharpen this knife, you'll need professional service.

The forged build includes a full-width forged bolster, which only slightly limits the length of the cut and does contribute some extra strength. Drop-forged and ice-hardened in Germany from Solingen no-stain high carbon steel, the knife receives its finishing steps in Switzerland by Victorinox. Two stages of sharpening, laser testing, and quality control all ensure the knife meets rigid Victorinox standards.

This professional knife's handle is a full tang design with handle slabs of comfortably shaped and very durable POM (Plastic Over Molded). To keep the edge at its best don't wash the knife in a dishwasher -- hand washing and drying after use lengthens the life of both cutting edge and polish. Keep the cutting edge off hard glass cutting boards, and if you intend to use the knife for meat or poultry remember that the serrations dull quickly on bone.

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Instead of saw teeth, the Victorinox curved bread knife incorporates a wave-tooth edge. There's less point here and therefore less drag and bite until the edge enters the crust of hard breads and rolls. The action's a compromise between a straight slicing edge and a pointy, serrated blade. In the cut, there's more slicing action and less sawing and snagging, which can be an advantage. You'll need to use more care when starting the cut, because on truly tough crusts, the blade may skate at first unless carefully controlled.

The curved edge of the knife adds a little more trickiness to the action, since only a few teeth make that first contact during the beginning of the cut. At the end of the slice, that curved edge makes fast work of any hard bottom crust. A slight rocking motion evenly severs the bottom of the loaf.

Whether you'll notice enough difference in the product to make this technical change worthwhile is probably dependent on whether you like the look of this forged knife and its full tang POM synthetic handle. Forged in Germany from high carbon stainless steel, the dropped bolster is strong but old-fashioned. The Victorinox curved bread knife is finished to the high standards of Victorinox but is just a little too small to be a good all-around choice for homemade bread.

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Making a clean cut in home-baked bread depends on an edge able to saw through a hard crust. To do a good job, the bread knife has to handle both that dry crusty barrier and the moist soft interior without tearing or compacting the structure of the bread. Here, a combination of sharp teeth and razor edges really does work best. The Wusthof Gourmet Bread Knife also has a slimmer profile with a full tang blade laser-cut from thinner steel stock than is used in Wusthof's forged lines. Thinner steel deforms the pastry less and cuts with less friction. Extra length helps when slicing large loaves or cakes, so definitely consider the 9-inch version -- especially if you make oval French-style breads. The size of peasant loaves often varies.

This is a very handy knife, and you'll be tempted to use it to carve meat as well as bread -- but keeping the tips of the teeth away from hard objects like bones, frozen food, and glass cutting boards is the best way to keep this edge at its best. Serrated knives can't be sharpened at home without special equipment. Where possible, work on a plastic or wooden cutting board instead of a glass or ceramic plate. On hard cutting surfaces, use the tip of the blade to make the last cut through the bottom crust.

Wusthof's stain-free steel should be washed and dried by hand after use. Dishwashers are rough on the high polish and sharp edge -- both last longer with hand washing.

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The Twin Pro S five-inch utility knife is a favorite among sandwich makers, slicing onions and tomatoes cleanly and dividing sandwich stacks without crushing the structure of the food. The eight-inch serrated bread knife divides hard crusted baked goods accurately and cuts airy slices from freshly baked bread. Serrations do the best job on the hard exterior of bread and rolls and require little upkeep.

The Twin Pro S knives are created from three different types of high carbon stainless steel, welded into one bar before forging and shaping. Blade, bolster, and tang are of different alloys with properties especially suited to the stresses and strains on that part of the knife. Forging creates the solid steel bolster, but the remainder of the knife is shaped by laser cutting and stone grinding. Less stress is placed on the steel during this process, and the end result is a knife without the weak points caused by overheating or stamping.

Twin Pro S knives also receive the Friodur treatment, which drops the temperature of the steel temporarily to -50 degrees C -- cold enough to alter the crystalline structure of the steel and increase edge retention and blade strength. The knives are a heavier style than many other modern brands, but the design is time-tested and still popular. Wash the knives by hand to protect the polish -- stain-free steel may blemish in a dishwasher. Use only wooden or plastic cutting boards in order to protect the cutting edges of these blades.

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The serrated edge is special purpose, and will dull if used on hard surfaces or across bone. Genuine carving knives have plain edges that are easily restored, but the long lasting serrated blade of this knife can only be sharpened at the factory. Use this bread knife for bread and you'll get the best results from it.

At 8 inches this is the minimum blade length you should consider for slicing home made bread of uncertain width. It's the slicing action and sharp edge that does the work, not downward pressure, so you need extra length to provide that cutting motion.

The distinctive handle of this pattern uses a full rat tail tang build and a double riveted handle insert, both comfortable and stylish. The forged blade and bolster provide much more strength than you actually need for cutting bread, and give the knife the look of fine cutlery with a traditional build.

Henckels cutlery is dishwasher safe, but hand washing and drying is recommended for proper care of finish and edge.

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