Thread: Origin of the Verb "Bread-Knifing"?

On the various straight-razor threads, I read that so-and-so (myself included) bread-knifed the blade to remove a chip. By this, what is normally meant is that the spine was lifted off the stone at whatever angle to remove a visible chip that otherwise would have taken an eternity to remove the normal way with the spine in contact with the stone.

I'm not interested in the merits or demerits of bread-knifing in this way, just interested in the origin of the term itself. Dictionaries do not seem to provide any clues apart from a description of the serrated blade of a bread-knife, which is sharpened differently.

So I am left to posit a possible origin: given that bread-knifing when applied to razors usually involves a noticeable chip or chips, perhaps the term relates to the razor's resemblance to a serrated bread-knife upon starting the honing process?

Normally bread knifing a razor is done with the razor vertical to the hone and you saw back and forth like cutting a loaf of bread. The method you describe is a modified version designed to cause less work in the long run.

Bob

I believe 'bread knifing' refers to running the edge of a razor across a hone as if you were slicing a loaf of bread, hence the term, bread knifing.

Originally Posted by BobH

Normally bread knifing a razor is done with the razor vertical to the hone and you saw back and forth like cutting a loaf of bread. The method you describe is a modified version designed to cause less work in the long run.

Bob

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I believe 'bread knifing' refers to running the edge of a razor across a hone as if you were slicing a loaf of bread, hence the term, bread knifing.

Thank you both for your comments. Indeed, I was thinking of any angle up to and including ninety degrees. As for the origin of the term, is it just an Internet forum thing? or was it used in past times? I recall a treatise on microtomes from the early part of the 20th century that advocated running a chipped edge along the side of a black Arkansas to remove the chips, but the term bread-knifing was not used.

A euro member recently said that in his country it was called 'ice skating'.

I'm pretty sure the term is just a modern Internet forum thing. I don't see any benefit to sawing a blade back and forth on a stone at a 90 degree angle. That's not the only thing I've seen referred to as breadknifing though. I've also seen it used to describe strokes with the spine lifted to 45 degrees. I use that move often for heavy bevel use. It kinda drives me crazy how quickly people advise breadknifing for tiny little chips.

Personally, I've always been careful to distinguish between what I call "full-frontal" or "head-on" bread-knifing (~90 degrees) and "modified" bread-knifing (<90 degrees). So should the term, bread-knifing, be reserved for 90-degrees only? And if so, what is a smaller-angle approach in lifting the spine to be called?

Just playing devil's advocate here guys. The explanation of the angle used in slicing a loaf of bread makes perfect sense, as does "ice-skating" (or "patiner," as I may know it from my tribulations with the French language).

The first time I heard the phrase "bread knife the blade" was around 1980 by my grandfather. He definitely didn't learn that phrase from the internet. So the term has been around a while. I don't know where he learned the phrase from.

I'm just guessing here, but I wonder if the term "Bread knifing" might also refer to removing chips in a razor, as the chips make the blade look like a serrated bread knife?

I don't ever recall my Dad mentioning those words, but now that I think of it, I can't remember seeing him hone razors, only stropping them at his barbers chair. I DO remember him making pasted paddle strops, tying his own hair brushes with horse hair he went to a farmer to get... going through an entire box of hard rubber combs, selecting the best ones for himself and distributing the rest to the other barbers in his shop. I also remember seeing some hones, but never him using them... probably because he wanted peace and quiet when he was doing that sort of thing.

Regards

Christian

Has to be because it makes the blade as 'dull as a bread knife' right!?!