Lames

For scoring bread, I've used really sharp, little paring knives (one is extremely narrow, sharply curved like a scimitar,with micro-serrations and one bevel), utility knives, single-edge razor blades, bread knives, and a curved twin-edge razor blade. My latest uses a bamboo skewer inserted into a curved, double-edged razor blade (use the blunt end).

Many variations work okay, but I'm not thrilled with any. Waddaya use?

[Robin Garr]

Good question, Larry! For me, just a really sharp chef's or paring knife, or possibly a little microserrated paring knife I got somewhere.

[Jenise]

I've just used a paring knife. FWIW, was impressed to see a show (an episode of The Chef Show on Netflix) where they visit Tartine. There they use a deliberately bent razor blade held at a very certain angle to get the curl on their famous batards.

I've just used a paring knife. FWIW, was impressed to see a show (an episode of The Chef Show on Netflix) where they visit Tartine. There they use a deliberately bent razor blade held at a very certain angle to get the curl on their famous batards.

I've got a lot of work ahead of me to get a good ear on my bread. I presume you meant a curved razor blade, not a bent one (which would snap). What I know is that you hold your lame almost parallel to the dough, then slash it from one end to the other off-center on one side (~1 in. deep). But there's definitely an art to it.

The image is my latest homemade lame made from a bamboo skewer and a double edged razor blade. I'll try it on the next loaf of sourdough. I'll let you know if it works.

I am currently using the double edged razor blade held by a narrow flexible metal strip. I have tried everything mentioned above. The blade and straight edge rust and dull quickly.
You are correct about a very shallow angle but a good ear is more about oven spring from very high temperatures and lots of steam.

Nice ear, Christina. And you gave me an idea for a lame handle. I've got some thin metal strips somewhere that should work as a handle. I like to experiment.

If not baking en cloche, I use a small, cast-iron skillet partly filled with water in the bottom of the oven for steam. And, for the first 10 minutes, I spray water into the oven every two minutes. It would be nice to have a steam injector oven, but probably will never happen unless I invent something.

Hey, Jenise: the loaf I baked after the one I photographed was a failure. Happens to me, too. I didn't hear the timer for the first phase of baking (watching a movie), and the crust came out as a lovely shade of this-side-of burnt. Still edible, though. If my next door neighbor hadn't moved away a couple of months ago, I would've given it to him. He liked even my failures.

Larry, this is my lame but I agree with you that none have been as slick as the YouTube videos.