Can't find the time to shop for a lame? Neither could I, so I made one myself. #bread #lowtech #diy

I'd always been envious of the beautiful slashes my village baker could achieve in a loaf, but could never suitably replicate them even with the sharpest knife in my kitchen. It would always lead to a nasty, jagged wound, rather than a clean, spread slash. Then I watched an interview with Richard Bertinet, and he described how important a baker's lame is; "It's how a baker signs his name on every loaf". Well, after those beautiful words, how could I not own one? But as with everything, I never got the time to go and shop for one and I'd been told you shouldn't buy one online as you have to feel them, make sure the handle suits you, the length is good, the curve of the blade is correct... it seemed like an endless litany of tiny things that Amazon just couldn't communicate to me. So, after looking through the first few pages of Google Images for 'bread lame' I resolved to put one together myself. And this is the result...

It's simply a double edged razor blade from my shaving supplies pushed onto the top of a wooden skewer from the back of a kitchen drawer. I then trimmed the skewer to a good length for me, and adjusted the curve of the blade until I could achieve a beautiful signature. I couldn't be happier and it cost me a grand total of 5p.