A
lame is a double-sided blade that is used to slash the tops of
bread loaves in
artisan baking. A lame is used to
score (also called
slashing or
docking) bread just before the bread is placed in the oven. Often the blade's cutting edge will be slightly concave-shaped, which allows users to cut flaps (called
shag) considerably thinner than would be possible with a traditional straight
razor.