The Cohens loved them some bagels, in fact it was practically considered currency on The O.C..Among their bagel love was their equal love for their bagel slicer. Their famous white bagel slicer would hang out on the kitchen counter, practically like another character on the show. Their bagel slicer represented the good times shared in the Cohen kitchen and the warm moments between the family. Let's face Cohens + Bagels = Love.
Peter Gallagher's daughter Kathryn recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the Cohens bagel slicer (among other things). She mentioned: "Were big into everything bagels (speaking about her real family), and my dad is poppy seed with lox and cream cheese...We never actually got the bagel slicer (from The O.C. set), which bummed me out. When the show closed I really wanted it, it was a little heartbreaking".
If the Cohen bagel slicer wasn't given to Peter Gallagher who the heck has it? Our best guess is that it's somewhere on a shelf or framed in Josh Schwartz's man cave. Perhaps in a dust/bomb proof case similar to the one that holds the Declaration of Independence (See what Josh Schwartz actually took from the show here and scroll down to the bottom).
This all begs an important question, if we cannot locate the original bagel slicer prop from the show couldn't we as fans buy a replica? I mean haven't you asked yourself at one point, "man I wish I had a bagel slicer like that". It's okay, we have too.
Well fear not, our research team has been diligently researching what brand bagel slicer was used in the show! Results below!
During the series there wasn't a whole lot of close-up images of the bagel slicer itself but in the last episode (when the Cohens are packing up their belongings) we get a whole lot more details, in-fact we can see the front/side and bottom of the slicer all in one scene. These images helped a lot in our research.
After analyzing the photos and multiple brands, just TWO bagel slicers are an exact match as the Cohens when it comes to materials, look and quality. One of the main details that separates the fakes to the real thing are the solid brass cutlery rivets, same as in the show.
The two brands are Bagel Guillotine by Hoan and The Bagel Biter by Larien aka "The Original Guillotine Bagel Guillotine". Not much info showed up about Hoan's Bagel Guillotine but we do know that The Bagel Biter was created in the early 90's. The patent for the Bagel Biter was submitted in 1994 and approved in 1995 (pat number 5,431,078).
The only problem is that it's difficult to find The Bagel Biter new in stores or online, in-fact you may have more luck search Ebay and buy a used one. BUT Then there's the Hoan's Bagel Guillotine which we notice looks like the exact same product and also very affordable on Amazon with prime 2-day shipping (under 20 dollars USD)! Our theory is that Larien may have licensed out its product to Hoan which explains the re-branding and lack of Larien branded slicers available.
Just because we are all about getting verified answers here at Everything The O.C. we skipped the middle man and emailed Larien to clear up the confusion. They responded with:
"Hoan aka Lifetime Brands, licensed the Larien bagel slicer six years ago. Same product, different manufacturer."
Just as we suspected! So there we have it! Hoan's Bagel Guillotine for the WIN!
A perfect Cohen bagel slicer match made in bagel heaven!
FEATURES:
- With this bagel slicer, you can safely and effortlessly slice your bagels in half
- Simply place bagel in the slot and push down on the blade
- The cradle holds the bagel while two clear acrylic safety shields keep fingers away from the patented bagel piercing blade
- Perfect for bagels, muffins, buns, and rolls of all sizes
- Features precision ground serrated cutting edges and a non-stick XYLAN® coated blade for smooth slicing and durability
With over 1,000 customer reviews and a close perfect score, this is a great product and one you can trust. It's even available in 3 colors, red grey and white although we are partial to the classic Cohen white for understandable reasons.
We then stumbled on this hilarious gem while looking at the Hoan Bagel Slicer product reviews! (This review by Christina deserves an award):
"I love this product. I originally bought it because I wanted to feel more like a Cohen (bagels + schmears were a staple in the Cohen family kitchen on the television show The O.C.). Pretty sure this is the exact model they used on the show (see attached photo- which of course I own no rights to)
Anyway, it cuts my bagels very satisfactorily.
Schmear on, my friends."
Click here to purchase the Hoan Bagel Slicer
Well there you have it, an O.C. mystery solved! We ordered ours and it no only came in 2 days but its a work of art! Hey it's the simple things in life! Now you too can live life just like the Cohens, eating bagels the Cohen way! Now picking the right cream cheese is up to you though! Just make sure you get your schmear on!