A bread lame can be useful for scoring artisanal homemade loaves, ... X-Acto blades, scalpels, even a wooden coffee stirrer joined to a razor blade," Nathan Myhrvold says.

After a few months, I decided to invest in a lame from Baker of Seville on Etsy.A lame is basically a razor attached to a long stick, and it's the instrument of choice for many professional bakers.

Using a bread lame isn't just for looks. It has several important functions. First, it allows you to control the way the ...