Once you experience this cutting edge, you'll be hooked. A bread knife can change your bread-eating life. We compared two bread knives, from Tadafusa and sumikama.

Even on busy mornings, having an appetizing meal in front of you gives you the energy to face the day with a positive outlook. Why not take a fresh look at the cooking tools that support your everyday meals, so you can enjoy delicious food at home too?

This time, we'd like to introduce bread knives.

Many of you may be the "bread for breakfast" type, but bread is a reliable presence at the table not only for breakfast, but also as a snack or alongside Western-style dishes.

But haven't you run into troubles like these?

・The bread got squashed while slicing it.

・The filling spilled out.

・Crumbs scattered and the cut surface became ragged.

I'm one of those people who has had bitter experiences with bread knives. I had somehow convinced myself that bread was just hard to cut, and I was never good at it.

Knives are made with blade shapes and materials suited to the ingredients they're meant for. Bread knives, designed not to crush soft bread, are a prime example of this. The feeling that "bread is hard to cut" may actually have come from using an everyday all-purpose knife, or a bread knife whose sharpness just wasn't quite right.

Why not choose a knife suited to cutting bread, and experience the delight of a table that looks beautiful and tastes even better?

Two Bread Knives Chosen by ZUTTO

This time, we're comparing two bread knives: one from Hocho Kobo Tadafusa, and one from sumikama.

Front: Hocho Kobo Tadafusa Bread Knife 240mm　Back: sumikama kasane Bread Knife

Tadafusa's bread knife is lightweight, while sumikama's has a shorter blade length. Both are designed to be easy for women to handle and to reduce fatigue during use.

Front: Hocho Kobo Tadafusa (antibacterial carbonized kuri, or chestnut wood)　Back: sumikama (highly water-resistant yamazakura, or mountain cherry wood)

Tadafusa uses "antibacterial carbonized wood" made from hard, rot-resistant chestnut for a handle where bacteria have a hard time growing, while sumikama uses mountain cherry wood, which is tough, resilient, and highly water-resistant. What the two share is a design that lets you feel the natural texture and rounded form of the wood, giving a warm sense of reassurance that blends naturally with the kitchen goods you already own.

So, about these two bread knives.

Both are bread knives we can confidently recommend. So what exactly is different about them? We actually used both knives and compared them.

The biggest difference is the shape of the blade.

The main difference between the two lies in the blade shape, which is the key feature of any bread knife. Tadafusa's knife uses a small serrated section combined with a sharp straight blade, switching between the two as needed, while sumikama's alternates between large and small serrations. Depending on the blade shape, different characteristics come to light.

Hocho Kobo Tadafusa Bread Knife 240mm

Tadafusa, which combines a small serrated section at the tip with a straight blade

Tadafusa's bread knife is used in a rather unique way: you start by using the serrated tip to create an opening, then continue slicing with the straight blade. The blade glides through even soft bread with ease, and many people find that its smooth cutting feel completely overturns their image of what a bread knife should be.

While most bread knives are single-edged, Tadafusa's bread knife is double-edged. It can be used regardless of which hand is dominant, making it a great recommendation for anyone who's had trouble finding a bread knife that suits them.

A sandwich, sliced smoothly all the way through the filling

We wanted to try Tadafusa's bread knife on a sandwich. This time, we prepared a bagel sandwich. Unlike sliced bread, a bagel sandwich has dense, heavily packed dough and filling, which seems like it would easily get pushed out while slicing.

We cut through the bagel's surface with the serrated section, and once the blade was in, we continued slicing with the straight edge.

What do you think of this beautiful cross-section?

The way it slices through different kinds of ingredients just as smoothly as it does bread is a sensation unique to Tadafusa's bread knife. The cutting feel, so different from what you'd get with a serrated blade, had me trying it out again and again until the sandwich was gone. Since it slices cleanly without crushing the filling, I'd definitely encourage you to try it on a sandwich packed generously with your favorite ingredients.

sumikama kasane Bread Knife

sumikama's kasane Bread Knife, with alternating large and small serrations

The feel of sumikama's kasane bread knife, moving back and forth as it cuts, is genuinely satisfying. Because it has large and small serrations arranged alternately, it can efficiently slice through the airy, bubble-filled interior of bread.

A croissant, sliced with a satisfying, crisp crunch

sumikama's serrated blade really shines when cutting layered dough like croissants. Many people probably find it difficult to cut a croissant cleanly even with their own bread knife. So what kind of cutting experience does it offer?

The crisp surface and the air pockets inside remained intact without crushing, resulting in a beautiful cross-section here too. Almost no crumbs fell, and the sensation of cutting through the croissant's layers with each stroke of the blade becomes addictive. This is a knife you'll be glad to have on hand when sharing a large croissant or Danish pastry that's otherwise hard to cut.

Two knives that fit naturally into daily life

Learning about the maker's thoughts and intentions only deepens your affection for a tool. Precisely because these are bread knives that feel so good to use, we want you to also learn about the story behind them and find the one that suits you best.

Hocho Kobo Tadafusa

At Hocho Kobo Tadafusa, knives are carefully handmade by skilled artisans.

Valuing the spirit of onkochishin (learning new things by studying the old), they put great effort into creating new knives that make use of traditional techniques. The basic set of three knives, including the bread knife, was designed so that specialized and often confusing professional-grade knives could be used easily at home. They were made with the belief that for something used every day, people should choose tools that are simple, easy to understand, and comfortable to use.

Photo by Takumi Ota

From left, the 240mm bread knife, the 170mm all-purpose knife (santoku), and the 125mm all-purpose knife (petty). Because the design is so simple, each knife's individual character comes through clearly. Once you experience how good the bread knife is, you'll find yourself wanting to complete the set with the all-purpose knives too—this is Tadafusa's basic trio. With all three together, you might just find yourself starting a meal by thinking about what to make with these knives as the centerpiece. All three are double-edged, a thoughtful touch that makes them easy for everyone in the family to use.

sumikama

sumikama's knives were made with the wish that they could be used with affection in everyday life, free of any stress. The name "kasane" draws on kasane no irome, Japan's traditional beauty of layered color combinations, and carries the hope that through the many layers of the four seasons and each passing day, everyday life will become richer.

sumikama also offers a set of three: a bread knife, a bunka knife, and a petty knife. sumikama's kasane series was made with attention to reducing fatigue during long use and to being easy for women to use as well. Since these are tools you use every day, you'll want to choose one that fits comfortably in your own hand.

▼For more details, please see sumikama's yomimono (feature article)

Both knives were made not only with usability in mind, but also with the hope that they would blend naturally into each person's lifestyle—and that is precisely why they feel so gentle and familiar.

Why not change your bread routine with a knife that fits your own way of life?

▼Click here for the product page of the Hocho Kobo Tadafusa 240mm bread knife