Bread Lame

$12.50

Rated #1 Lame by Serious Eats (November, 2022)
Rated #1 Lame by America’s Test Kitchen (September, 2015)

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in the lower 48 USA for orders totaling over $75.

(31 customer reviews)

Now featuring a new design that holds the blade more securely. 

Serious Eats review conclusion - click to read.

Serious Eats review conclusion – click to read.

A Lame (pronounced LAHM, meaning “blade” in French) is typically a long thin stick made to hold a metal razor used to cut, or score, bread dough to help control the expansion of the loaf as it bakes.

We had not carried a bread lame prior to this one because at the time, we were unable to find one that we liked. They were either over-priced or disposable. To work well, the blade needs to be extremely sharp, so a replaceable blade was a necessary feature of an acceptable lame. We also wanted to carry a lame that was reasonably priced. So we made our own (since then, some new premium lames have been released that we feel are good, if still a bit pricey).

We believe our bread lame is an excellent balance of form, function and price. It’s designed to be easy to see and pick up. This may sound funny, but one model on the market is so small and thin as to be nearly invisible when set down. It’s difficult to pick up barehanded and almost impossible to use while wearing protective oven gloves. Our lame’s easy grip handle allows for steady control and accurate cutting. It uses inexpensive replaceable double edge blades which makes it both economical and ecological.

Since you’re only cutting with one corner of the blade at a time and the blade can easily be rotated, you get maximum life out of each blade.

The handle is made of hard plastic resin with a stainless steel strip to hold the razor blade. Included with the lame are 5 razor blades.

Use the box that the lame comes in as a convenient and safe way to store it.

The video clip below is of Ciril Hitz demonstrating scoring baguette dough with bread lame at the 3rd annual Kneading Conference in Maine.

More inspirations:

 

Bread Lame

  1. VelkySyr (verified owner)

    I have had the same experience of a couple of people with the blade neither cutting into the dough, nor staying on the lame itself. I’d make a joke about a lame lame, but I LOVE Breadtopia, so I won’t. 🙂 I’ve watched the blade instruction video 3 times, to no avail. I’m going to order the other, more expensive one as the design looks much better. Having said all that, for those of you considering this lame, read all of the reviews. Most are positive, so glean from this review what you will. My experience has just been not at all good.

    For those of you looking at Breadtopia.com for the first time, EVERY OTHER PRODUCT I have ever ordered from these fine folks is absolutely fabulous – especially their grains. And I mean every other product, and I have purchased a lot from Breadtopia, and will continue to do so.

  2. Ladydzich (verified owner)

    This is a very handy tool for any bread-baker!

  3. mstrachtenberg (verified owner)

    What a great tool! So much cleaner cutting and more effective than either the paring knife or assorted razor blades I have tried.

  4. Newell Wagner (verified owner)

    This doesn’t work for me. Fresh blades, fresh blade edges, it doesn’t seem to matter this tool either digs in and stops or skims over the top and doesn’t cut at all. I question the quality of the included razor blades. I’ve gone back to my paring knife.

  5. BW

    Worked great the first loaf but how often do you change blade? I mean about how many loaves before changing? Is it beat to dip in water first to cut hydration dough easier?

  6. Kevin

    Works so, so much better than other things I tried first – knives, x-acto, scalpel, etc. Scoring still takes practice, but this makes it so much easier.

  7. jimfeuerstein (verified owner)

    Doesn’t work for me on firm dough — the blade pops off. Returned to using my home-made lame.

  8. Kelleyt

    Easily falls apart and therefore, IMHO, dangerous to use

  9. AliB

    This was my first purchase from breadtopia. I loved that it was test kitchen approved, but I had to test it out myself. It is an excellent tool, and not too pricy. My loaves look beautiful and I am very happy with this lame!

  10. Stephanie B (verified owner)

    This thing is great! Much more affordable than other lames I’ve looked at, and these razors are SHARP. Clean cuts even in wet, sticky doughs.

  11. Mike (verified owner)

    Worked perfectly with my first attempt. Nice!

  12. Chris Clark (verified owner)

    I’ve used it once and it worked well. My Tartine-style raisin bread looks great. I should have purchased this a dozen loaves ago! Works better than a knife on my high-hydration dough. Next loaf, I’ll go for a quicker, deeper angled cut for even better ears.

  13. Alma Rands (verified owner)

    Wonderful tool. Used it yesterday to score my bread in a decorative pattern and the loaf looks gorgeous. I dusted it with a light coating of rice flour and the contrast between the dark and light is absolutely attractive.. Thanks Breadtopia for prompt delivery of such an excellet tool.

  14. Benjamin (verified owner)

    My husband and I are more than pleased with this wonderful-good tool! It’s the bread maker’s equivalent to an artist’s paintbrush, as our loaves look like finished masterpieces 🙂 The baguette shaped handle will make you smile. The blades are from Europe and are very high quality, extremely sharp but very simple to assemble. I can finally produce my own scoring that beautiful artisan bakery breads possess, while also allowing it to rise and cook better in the oven. We plan to get a toothbrush case to store it in or a small jar filled with rice to stick it in to keep the blades dry between uses (as suggested in a review). Thanks for helping our homemade breads look like they belong on a bakery rack somewhere in France. They turn out so gorgeous! If there was a gallery or museum to exhibit beautiful bread scoring history, styles, patterns and techniques—I think we would absolutely be there. Making bread is one of my favorite creative processes, it is every bit as pretty as it is enjoyable. And delicious. I have a lifelong journey of learning and practicing to go!

    P.S. This was our first purchase with Breadtopia—we couldn’t be happier with their prompt, professional and pleasant service! We enjoy supporting small/family-run businesses that absolutely love what they do and the people they work with and those they serve. There’s nothing better than feeling like a valued customer and not a number. We hope to be back again soon, thanks ever so much 🙂

  15. Carrie (verified owner)

    This is a great lame. For storage, I bought a toothbrush traveling holder at our local drugstore and labeled it.

  16. Javier Matamoros (verified owner)

    Not lame at all! This tiny, simple-seeming tool let me make precise scores very easily, even inside a fiercely hot Dutch oven. The fact that it uses cheap, super sharp, widely available safety razor blades only makes it better. I’d recommend this to anyone who’s contemplating baking bread at home.

  17. Sandra (verified owner)

    I’m a long-time bread baker who finally decided to get a lame. I’ve always had some success using a very sharp knife, but now I regret not getting the lame as soon as you came out with it. It does a superb job of slitting the bread properly so it opens up nicely. Does anyone have a particularly good way of storing the tool safely?

  18. Patti (verified owner)

    Wow! This tool was super easy to assemble and use! Attached is my first loaf of no-knead sourdough bread scored with this lame! Very happy with this product!

  19. Gayle (verified owner)

    Just used this for the first time and WOW! What a wonderful difference this tool makes, perfect slashes on my bread. After trying many other knives, etc. this is it! Buy this, you will be happy you did.

  20. Aliyah Levestam

    Simple, effective – Inexpensive lame that does the job nicely. Thanks!

  21. Ed’s Bread

    Buy it! After a disappointment with an expensive lame from the local high end cooking store, I remember I had wanted to try using Breadtopia.

    That was the right decision. This lame is great. It was delivered quickly with a nice note and worked like a champ. And is not disposable!

    It has a nice feel, it is a great value and helps support a company that has been super responsive and seems passionate about helping us bake better bread! I got perfect scores that took the loaves to a new level.

  22. Anonymous

    curved blade required – for the record a lame is suppose to have a curved blade. necessary to cause a correct bloom or ear on the baked loaf.

  23. maria campillo

    It is a perfect tool and it is supposed to bend, that is the perfect way of making the right angle.

  24. thomas

    I have not yet tried this, but it appears in the video that the blade is being put on incorrectly, thus causing the blade to curve. The lame has a slight curve at the end, if the blade was put on the other way, it would be straight.

  25. Justin

    Love this tool! Made in USA! Sharpest blade EVER, works great!

  26. Pat

    Great product! Replaceable blades mean that cuts are always clean and exact. Never a dull blade. Beautifully crafted! And the price is right!!!

  27. Greg

    Fabulous – I found the handle to be quite a help when scoring. So much more control then when using the Lame like the one shown shown in the Ciril Hitz video, which is what I had previously. I did make a couple of improvements: drilled a hole at the top so I could hang it and then sanded the wood smooth and finished it with Good Stuff (actually “great” stuff for sealing/finishing bread boards, etc.). Love it.

  28. Rick E.

    Excellent Value – Well made and very comfortable to use. I, too, have been looking for a lame, but I’ve been unwilling to pay the high prices. I saw this in Eric’s videos, and I was impressed. It didn’t look cheaply made. I’ve been using a single-edge razor blade, but I was not getting the “ear”. Also, I suggest you order the extra five-pack of blades; at only a dollar, you can’t beat the price and it barely effects the shipping costs (if any).

  29. Ty Westbrook

    Terrific Deal – The lame worked perfectly. This is a quality item at a terrific price. Very pleased.

  30. Dayle Watson

    Great quality Lame, very simple to attach the Blades and makes slicing the Dough seem effortless.

    Plus 5 blades included at $9.50 is great value.

  31. Joey B.

    High quality lame – I was looking to purchase my first lame and all that was available online were cheap plastic ones. This one is beautifully crafted, easy to use and made in the U.S.A.

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