Bread knives
Does a bread knife need an offset handle?
A straight-handled bread knife runs out of clearance on the last centimeter of a loaf, and your knuckles meet the board. An offset handle sits above the blade so the whole edge reaches the board. It solves a real problem, and it costs twice as much and does one job.
| Compared on | 26.9 cm (10.6 in) offset | 20 cm (7.9 in) German steel |
|---|---|---|
| Blade length | 26.9 cm (10.6 in) | 20 cm (7.9 in) |
| Handle position | Offset and raised above the blade | In line with the blade |
| Knuckle clearance | Stated to lift the hand off the board | None at the end of the stroke |
| Serrations | Stated twice the width of conventional bread knives | Serrated |
| Full-length board contact | Stated along the whole edge | Not published |
| Steel | Not published as a named steel | German knife steel, stated rust resistant |
| Stated uses | Home-baked bread | Bread, tomatoes, melon and similar |
| Listed on amazon.com | No | Yes |
A tick marks the better answer on that line only. Counting ticks does not decide the page — the two verdicts below do, because these products answer different questions.
No amazon.com listing was found for this one. We hold references for other markets but none for the United States, so it may not be buyable here — which is the first thing to weigh against anything below.
Buy the Syokami if you bake. A 26.9 cm (10.6 in) blade crosses a large sourdough in one stroke, the offset handle keeps knuckles off the board on that last centimeter, and wide serrations tear through a hard crust rather than compressing it. It is sold on fewer European marketplaces than anything else in this hub.
Buy the Moritz & Moritz if bread is one of several jobs. Twenty centimeters of German knife steel, serrated and stated rust resistant, and explicitly recommended for tomatoes and melon — the soft-skinned things a straight edge crushes. Half the price, and available across six marketplaces.
Not usefully with ordinary equipment. Serrations need a tapered rod worked scallop by scallop; most people replace instead. That is the trade for an edge that stays usable for years.
Because a 20 cm (7.9 in) serrated knife is also a general-purpose knife for tomatoes, citrus and cake. A 26.9 cm (10.6 in) offset blade is a bread knife and nothing else.
Pressure. A serrated edge saws with almost none, which is why it works on both fresh bread and a ripe tomato where a straight edge would need force.
26.9 cm (10.6 in) · offset raised handle · full serration contact with the board · double-width serrations
The top of this hub and the only offset blade in it: the handle is raised above the blade so knuckles clear the board, and the serrations reach the board along their whole length.
Best for: Home bakers with large round loaves and hard crusts.
20 cm (7.9 in) blade · German knife steel · serrated · stated rust resistant · also for tomatoes and melon
A 20 cm (7.9 in) serrated blade in German knife steel, sold for tomatoes and melons as well as bread — from the same range as the chef’s knife in this catalog.
Best for: A matched kitchen, and everyday bread.
≈ $61
