Tojiro Bread Slicer F-737 and F-687: A Wavy-Edge Bread Knife, Not a Slicing Machine

Why a knife is called a bread slicer

In Japanese kitchen retail, a long knife for bread is a パンスライサー – a “pan slicer”, from pan, the Japanese word for bread. Tojiro, a knife maker from the Tsubame-Sanjo cutlery region in Niigata, uses that name for a series of wavy-edged bread knives in its special-knife range. Translated into English listings, it becomes “bread slicer”, which is why searches for a Tojiro bread slicer land on a knife, while the rest of this site is about manual bread slicers with a crank or a guide.

The practical difference: a knife slices freehand. A hand-crank slicer sets the thickness with a fence, and a bread slicing guide holds your knife straight between two walls. The Tojiro does neither – the evenness of the slice depends on you.

The Tojiro bread slicer models

Source: Tojiro product page for the bread slicer series, read 22 October 2026. Tojiro gives the blade sizes in the model names and lists no weight or handle material on the page. All four share the wavy edge (波刃), which Tojiro says is designed for clean cuts that keep the shape of the bread; the series is also named for ham and whole cakes.

F-737 – the one on Amazon

The listing we link is the F-737: the listing details give model number F-737, a 23.5 cm blade, 37.5 cm (14.8 inches) overall, a stainless blade, a natural wood handle and Made in Japan. The title rounds the length to 14.75 inches. It is the entry model of the series and still sits in a higher price class than most bread knives. Our product data for it take the blade and overall length from Tojiro's product page; the model match, the stainless note and the wood handle come from the listing.

Our pick: Japanese wavy-edge bread knifeTojiro

Tojiro bread knife

A long Japanese wavy-edge bread knife that Tojiro sells as a “bread slicer” – a knife, not a machine (manufacturer).

Why here: The Tojiro model on Amazon: a 235 mm wavy-edge blade, about 375 mm overall, per Tojiro's product page, with the series' wavy edge.

Best for: Cooks who want a Japanese wavy-edge bread knife whose maker documents blade and overall length, and who accept a higher price class for a knife.

Strengths

• 9.25 in (235 mm) serrated blade, about 14.8 in (375 mm) overall (manufacturer, model F-737)
• Wavy edge designed for clean cuts that keep the shape of the bread (manufacturer)

Weaknesses

• Tojiro's page names no steel grade for the F-737; the listing says stainless steel with a natural wood handle
• Blade 9.25 in – shorter than a 10-inch bread knife; the 14.75 in in the listing title is the overall length
• Higher price class than most bread knives

Type

Bread knife (sold as “bread slicer”)

Blade

9.25 in (235 mm) serrated, about 14.8 in (375 mm) overall (manufacturer); stainless (listing)

Slice thickness

freehand

Price class: Premium

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F-687 – the long one

The F-687 is the 270 mm version in SD molybdenum-vanadium steel, about 410 mm overall. The extra length matters for wide boules: America's Test Kitchen recommends a serrated bread knife of at least 9 inches and using the full length of the blade in a gentle sawing motion, and a longer blade gives more of that stroke. We have no Amazon listing of the F-687 in our data.

Care: no resharpening

Tojiro's care page is clear on one point that changes the buying math: wavy-edged knives such as its slicers cannot be resharpened because of their structure. Everything else is about keeping the edge as long as possible:

• Wash after use with a soft sponge and mild kitchen detergent, rinse well.
• Wipe dry before storing; do not dry it in a microwave or oven.
• Do not leave it in a sink or tub of water.
• Avoid metal scourers and other hard scrubbers, which scratch the blade.
• Rust can form when salty or acidic residue stays on the blade or the knife is stored damp; Tojiro suggests a cleanser on a sponge for light rust.

Tojiro or something else?

Which slicer fits you?

• If you want a Japanese wavy-edge bread knife whose maker documents blade and overall length → Tojiro bread knife

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• If you want a longer 10-inch blade with documented steel in the budget class → Mercer Millennia 10" bread knife

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• If you want even slices from your knife without a steady hand → Akebono PS-955 guide

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• If you want even slices without a knife at all → Zassenhaus Classic

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• Mercer Millennia 10-inch – a foodservice bread knife whose maker documents the steel, edge angle and warranty; the budget alternative, covered on the best knife for sourdough.
• Akebono PS-955 guide – a Japanese plastic slicing guide with five steps from 10 to 30 mm for loaves up to 200 mm high and 140 mm wide; the knife is sold separately, and a long one such as the Tojiro fits it.
• Hand-crank slicer – if you want the thickness set by a fence, the Zassenhaus Classic cuts stepless 1–18 mm.

Knives, guides, bow knives and crank slicers are set side by side in bread slicing tools compared, and knives that clip onto a guide are on bread knife with guide.

What we could not check

We do not test knives, and we found no independent test of the Tojiro bread slicers. Tojiro's page lists no weight, handle material or dishwasher statement, so those details come from the listing or are missing. The models other than the F-737 are not in our Amazon data.