Best Bread Knife? Maybe
My old Forschner was getting dull and I was tired of doing a clumsy attempt at resharpening it. So it was time for a replacement. I found this review site http://reviews.cookingcache.com/bread-knives-review.html [1]
I bought the Tojiro 270mm (which is longer than my Forschner) and it is AMAZING. IIRC much, much sharper than the Forschner was when new. It is very well made and is a joy to use. I can't comment on its ability to hold an edge, but right now I'm a happy camper. [see below for an update]
The place I bought it, referenced in the review, had free shipping for orders over $60. I also ordered a $5.95 Forschner paring knife that put me over by 90 cents!
I just found this YouTube review of the knife: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0ll30aB-tQ [2]
[I've now had the knife about two months and I'm disappointed. While it was great on soft to firm crusted breads its Japanese edge profile isn't up to hard-crusted artisan breads. The edge is starting to roll over in spots. The first sign of trouble was after slicing a loaf of "mountain bread" made from an Italian cookbook I have. I really started to notice the edge rolling after slicing a country loaf from Tartine Bakery. Now I'm on the look out for a knife that will stand up to hard crusts]
[UPDATE 2: I got another knife, the Pure Komachi 2 that alabubba recommended. I REALLY like it. The blade is 2 inches shorter than the Tojiro's and the handle is much smaller and not as secure feeling. However, at $10 I can get six of them for what I bought the Tojiro for. The Pure Komachi's blade seems to be at least as sharp as the Tojiro's, but the narrower coated blade goes through a loaf more easily. I haven't used it on super hard crusts yet, but I don't care. Discussions I've had with knife people lately tend to support the view that serrated knifes should be treated as disposable items and to not spend a ton of money on them. My only issue with the Pure Koamchi is the blade length, but that is not a show stopper. Thanks alabubba for the recommendation]
[UPDATE 3: I've had the Pure Komachi 2 for awhile, so it is time for an update. I'm starting to notice that its edge is rolling a bit. Not nearly as much as the Tojiro did, but then again it hasn't had to cut loaves with as hard a crust. My pure guess at this time is that the Pure Komachi's blade will last longer. The biggest issue I have with the Pure Komachi is that it is difficult to make straight cuts, for bread slices, on wide loafs. The combination of the small round handle and the short narrow blade aren't suited for easily making these cuts where you want to have a uniform width top to bottom. Here the Tojiro, with its longer wider blade and flat-sided handles shines. Right now I find I'm using both knifes as the situation dictates. The search for the perfect knife continues (the Chicago Cutlery?) :-)]
[UPDATE 4: After extended use of the Pure Komachi I really began to dislike its problems with wide loaves. I bought the 10" Chicago Cutlery to try. It was VERY dull as received and didn't cut cleanly. I sharpened it with a Spyderco Triangle Sharpmaker and things were good. BTW - The Sharpmaker is AMAZING!. See my more detailed review below for more info on the Chicago Cutlery. Now, what is my recommendation? The Pure Komachi is out. I just don't like it for wide loaves of bread. If you don't know how to sharpen a serrated blade then the Tojiro is the winner. However, my recommendation is to get the Chicago Cutlery AND the Spyderco Sharpmaker. You'll end up with a good knife and a great sharpener. (Who knows if I'd still have my old Forschner if I'd had the Spyderco Sharpmaker back then?)]
[UPDATE 5: Still using the Chicago Cutlery and the Tojiro. Generally happy. The Chicago is good but really shreds soft bread. This week the wife and I went to San Francisco and ate at a great restaurant. What intrigued me was the bread cutting. There was a guy who almost non-stop was cutting artisan loaves of bread for bread baskets. Literally he would finish one loaf and then start on another with few pauses between. I asked him how long the knife lasted before it needed to be replaced. (Not his usual question :-) ). He showed me the knife, a Dexter 8" scalloped bread knife, walnut handle (I believe it was a S62-8RSC-PCP) and said "at least six months". I haven't tried one, but would definitely consider it in the future if I need another bread knife.]