>>17115184Yes. You can try it yourself by cutting a loaf of bread with a non serrated knife, try to press the blade down flat and then at an angle and you'll see what works better.
There's a legend that the original design of the guillotine as invented by dr. Guillot had a straight blade. When the project of using it for executions was presented to king Louis XVI, who had a strong interest in mechanics, he was the one who modified it to have a diagonal blade for better efficiency.
