What makes a good bread lame?

• Holds the blade straight, not curved
• The blade is securely clamped in, not friction fit
• The blade protrudes far out of the clamp, to allow easy use
• Made of molded plastic, not metal, and certainly no wood anywhere (the clamp might have metal parts, if necessary)
• Cheap! This is a utility item, not a luxury.

Note: The fact that a long and respected tradition has produced a ridiculous stupid design, which you were enticed to follow because it's the tradition, is not your fault. You probably have to continue to make the traditional type, to satisfy those who merely follow tradition without thinking.

I have two; one curved the other straight.  I use the curved one on baguettes and batard loaves, the straight on boules.  I like these because I can replace the blades with "old fashioned" razor blades.  The cured lame is great at creating "ears" on my baguettes.

:) laser?  High power air or water stream?  Freeze cut wire?  Hot wire?  Finger cap?  Or Glove?   

It's not the blade, it's the hands.

The way I see the logic of bread lames:

1. We need to slash the crust before baking.
2. A cutting tool is therefore needed.
3. Most knives are not sharp enough to do the job easily.
4. Blades of the old Gillette safety-razor type are very sharp, widely available, and inexpensive. Other blades that I can find are either expensive or difficult.
5. Those blades are sharp on two edges, and somewhat clumsy to hold onto by themselves, so most people prefer to have some kind of handle.
6. If our only option is to improvise our own handle, with no help and no guarantee of mechanical skills or design experience, we should just find a suitable stick and thread the blade onto the stick, because that's simple and nearly anyone can do it successfully.
7. However, if someone with mechanical skills, design experience, some time on their hands, and a profit motive, is going to make handles for bread-slashing tools, should they constrain themselves to only the improvised "thread it on a stick" method - or should they feel free to construct something that's better and easier to use?

Why in the world would anyone discourage them from coming up with better, more convenient handle designs? (Or better blade designs, for that matter)

Traditionally, it was presumed that no one would ever be interested in making a better handle. That presumption was probably correct, before "sell it online" became practical. But now that any good design (or even a poor one that looks pretty) has a decent prospect for selling to a much wider market, the traditional expectation is no longer correct.

Here's my take on a good bread lame ;

(http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/38115/lame-maker)

I keep the lame and a small package of extra razor blades in a plastic toothbrush holder for safe storage when not in use.

Wild-Yeast

Design Render:

 Actual Design:

When my cheap old curved lamé with plastic handle broke, I wanted to upgrade and get something really durable. I bought a rather expensive metal one, advertised as especially practical because it was shaped like a surgical instrument.

Unfortunately, it turned out to the opposite, too heavy to handle comfortably. And, worse, the blade is fastened by a screw that sticks out too much, snagging the dough, when I score at a shallow angle. 

I’m using a French lamé (Mure & Peyrow) now, sturdy, but light weight, and without annoying design flaws. I have a straight and a curved one, and am very satisfied with their performance.

Karin