How to Choose Your First Bread Knife

Decide whether you need a dedicated bread knife

Buy one for a recurring job: slicing whole loaves. Serrated teeth help enter the crust while protecting the softer interior, as Mercer explains for its wavy-edge bread knife.

If you mostly buy sliced bread and your existing knife handles the occasional roll satisfactorily, there is little reason to rush. If your real need is a first knife for everyday meal preparation, start with choosing a chef’s knife.

Match the blade to your usual loaf

Victorinox suggests 21–26 cm for everyday use, with longer blades useful for larger loaves. Treat that as a starting range.

• Small loaves and rolls: compare the shorter end first.
• Wide round loaves: compare the longer end and leave room for a back-and-forth stroke.
• Limited storage: check overall length separately. Shun’s 210 mm offset model, for example, is 13.9 inches long overall.

Measure the bread across the cut you actually make, rather than along the whole loaf.

Choose the handle before paying for a tooth pattern

An offset handle sits higher to provide knuckle clearance near the board. King Arthur explains why this helps finish the bottom crust. If a standard handle already gives your hand enough room, an offset is optional.

Tooth names describe construction, not a complete ranking. Shun uses scalloped serrations; WÜSTHOF’s double serrations add smaller teeth within larger serrations. Those descriptions alone do not establish which cuts your bread best.

Shortlist knives only after checking blade length, hand clearance and a comfortable grip. Ask for a demonstration on the kind of bread you buy if possible; a close-up of the teeth cannot answer every question.

Check the ownership details before buying

Ask whether sharpening support specifically covers serrated edges. Kai USA distinguishes honing from sharpening: its service hones serrated knives but does not sharpen or repair them. Confirm the service available for your model and region before buying sharpening equipment.

For a fair first cut, let homemade sandwich bread cool. Use light pressure and controlled strokes.

WÜSTHOF advises hand washing, prompt drying and protected storage. Check your chosen knife’s instructions. If it will not fit your existing holder, compare knife blocks, magnetic strips and drawer inserts before ordering.