The was invented and
Patent ed in
1925 by
Thor Bjørklund , a carpenter from
Lillehammer ,
Norway . Its mass production started in
1927 .
Its design is based on that of a
Carpenter's Plane .
Cheese slicers are very common in the
Nordic Countries ,
The Netherlands ,
Germany ,
France and
Switzerland . The success of the cheese slicer in these countries is due to the fact that cheese is eaten first and foremost on bread and that most traditional
Cheese Varieties in these countries are hard enough to be sliced. Protestant frugality (thin slices) may also have played a role.
An alternative model of cheese slicer, popular in North America, features a thin wire streched between the prongs of a hand held metal slicing device. A cylindrical "roller" rests against the edge of the block of cheese while the wire slices through it, providing pressure and guiding the device smoothly such as to create uniform slices of cheese. This style of cheese slicer is especially well suited to the softer varieties of cheese, such as cheddar or mozzarella, that are popular on North American sandwiches.
