Origin
Japan post World War II (1945>), when the consumption of bread in Japan increased.
Blade length and Width
The blade length generally falls between 240mm-360mm, with a width between 1.8-3mm.
Purpose
The Pankiri is a relatively modern knife to Japan, but would no doubt look similar to its western equivalent, the bread knife. Pankiri directly translates to ‘bread slicer’, indicating its purpose and origin. The cutting edge is single ground with serrations along the length, used to slices breads and cakes without tearing the crust or compressing the delicate structure within. It is functionally identical to the western bread knife, where they both have thin blades, long serrated edges and straight spines, although variations are common.
Tips to using the Pankiri
Pankiri’s should be light, with a decent length, allowing the wielder to make long slicing cuts without applying too much pressure or running out of room on the cutting edge. Generally, the bread will be placed toward the edge of your cutting surface where your knuckles will have clearance under the handle. You can select an offset bread knife instead, where the blade slopes down away from the handle, giving better clearance for your knuckles.
It is very difficult to sharpen Pankiri’s as the serrations prevent you from using traditional whetstones. The upshot of this is that bread knives tend to not require sharpen as often or at all depending on usage.