Prior to 1928, home-baked bread was sliced using a knife that resembled a violin bow and is similar to Harry’s Yukon bread knife.
“1928 is noteworthy,” he added, “for that is the year Otto Rohwedder introduced a machine which automatically sliced bread for commercial bakeries. Hence the saying, ‘The best thing since sliced bread.’ With the advent of commercially sliced bread, the Yukon style knife started to disappear from homes.”
Bread knives became popular again, though, when the bread machine was introduced in the 1970s. More recently, grocery stores have reintroduced unsliced bread, so “we have come full circle to again need a bread knife in the home.”
Harry’s Yukon bread knives are made of cherry, hard maple, red oak or black walnut and are functionally the same as ones used in the 19th century, around the time of the Yukon Gold Rush of 1898. “I have modified the shape slightly so that they are more pleasing to the eye,” he said. “Also, I use a stainless steel blade so it will not rust or tarnish as did the carbon steel ones our forefathers used.”
The Yukon bread knife has a number of uses for which it is uniquely suited such as:
- Cut very warm bread right from the oven or bread machine without squashing the bread.
- Slice very ripe tomatoes.
- Slice all types of vegetables such as cucumbers, potatoes...
- Slice roast-especially very thin pieces for sandwiches.
- Cut angel food cake (once the angel food cake has been halved).
17"L X 2"H