The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

How often do you replace your scoring blade?

dannydannnn's picture
dannydannnn

How often do you replace your scoring blade?

Title pretty much sums it...

JeremyCherfas's picture
JeremyCherfas

Once a month. I score about 8 loaves a week.

andykg's picture
andykg

if you use something like a grignette then you can swap the blade round and use the 4 different edges

mariana's picture
mariana

Hi dannydann, 

I score with a kitchen knife, so my scoring blade is never replaced. I simply reshaphen it a bit each time I want to score a loaf.

In the past, I tried using scoring blades or shaving blades for scoring, but they are so .. I don't know, delicate. After one use they are not longer sharp enough to score as well as when they are fresh from the package.

So, I ended up using low tech solution, a regular $1 made in Brasil vegetable peeling knife from a dollar store. All it needs is to be resharpened once in my electric knife sharpener or on a sharpening stone, and it is the best scoring blade ever. 

mariana

dannydannnn's picture
dannydannnn

That sounds pretty awesome. I also noticed it's not as sharp after just one usage and thought I was going crazy.

JeremyCherfas's picture
JeremyCherfas

I have never experienced loss of sharpness after one or even ten uses. But I do wipe down my blade after each use. I wonder whether a bit of dough drying on the blade might make it seem dull?

dannydannnn's picture
dannydannnn

That's probably it. I will give that a shot!

alfanso's picture
alfanso

Hi mariana,

I miss your detailed write-ups and responses on TFL, as you don't post as often as I would want you to.

Each finds their own baking technique equilibrium, and regarding changing scoring blades, my experience is completely different than yours is.  I buy double sided razor blades therefore getting 4 scoring tips from each blade.  As you may know, my thing is baguettes, and so I get 4 scores (no seven years ago!) on each baguette, typically 16 total scores per bake.  I don't change tips on the razor more than perhaps every 10-12 bakes or more.

My M.O. is to dip the blade tip into olive oil to reduce any potential drag, and as mentioned elsewhere here, I wipe the blade tip down after each bake.

In summary, I get more than 150 scores on a single blade tip before going the next tip on the blade.  And that would include the blade cutting through the occasional fruit and nut additions.

If I'm scoring straight down and deep, as when I bake my "ziggy" or a pain viennoise, then I use a ceramic blade.

JeremyCherfas's picture
JeremyCherfas

Olive oil to reduce drag is interesting. I just leave my blade in a glass of water between loaves.