Laguiole Bread Knives

Serrated bread knife: Classic shape or straight handle?

Pick the Classic if you want your bread knife to match a Laguiole table setting: its curved handle keeps the traditional Laguiole shape, and juniper and snakewood are among the handle choices. Go for the straight handle if you would rather it look like your kitchen knives, with ziricote or juniper among its woods. Both have a long serrated edge, so it is a choice of looks and grip. They are sold one at a time, and Laguiole en Aubrac makes both shapes by hand in France.

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Watch the Classic bread knife in juniper

The Classic shape, with a juniper handle in a satin finish.

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What is a bread knife used for?

Mainly for bread: a crusty boule, a baguette, a sandwich loaf or a brioche, cut without crushing it. With long, light strokes you cut through the crust and keep the crumb whole, which is why a bread knife for sourdough beats a chef's knife. You can also use it on a firmer cake. As a bread slicing knife, it belongs by the cutting board, and on the table whenever a loaf is passed around.

Bread knife or serrated knife?

Every bread knife is serrated, though not every serrated knife is meant for bread. Steak knives and small tomato knives often have teeth as well. A bread knife is set apart by its long blade, so each slice comes from one even sawing motion instead of short hacks. For a sourdough knife, that length matters most, because a thick, hard crust is where a short blade gets stuck. Both the Classic and the straight handle are made for that long, even stroke.

Questions about Laguiole bread knives

A care leaflet ships with every order. Hand-wash and towel-dry the knife after each loaf, and never load it into the dishwasher.