Chef'sChoice EdgeCraft E1520 Manuel page 7

of raw tuna or salmon. The back side of this blade
is commonly slightly hollow ground. A small single
cutting edge facet of about 15º is created below
the large factory bevel along the front side of this
type blade as shown in Figures 6 and 7 in order
to establish the geometry of the cutting edge. An
even smaller cutting microfacet (barely visible to
the unaided eye) is customarily created at the edge
on the back side of the blade to enhance the
sharpness of the finished edge. Figure 7 shows a
greatly enlarged cross-section view of a typical
traditional single-bevel Japanese knife edge as
sharpened at the factory. The large factory bevel A
serves to deflect the food slice away from the
blade as it is cut. When sharpening the traditional
Japanese blades, you should always follow these
instructions carefully. Always sharpen this style knife at 15º (Asian style) unless it is a
thicker specialized blade designed for heavy duty work. Always remember these knives
will be extremely sharp.
SHARPENING THE CONTEMPORARY ASIAN
KNIFE OR OTHER DOUBLE-FACETED EDGE AT
Virtually all Asian blades are factory sharpened at 15 degrees. The popular Santoku blade
shown above is a typical contemporary Asian style, double faceted and each of its facets
is sharpened on each side at 15 degrees to create a total edge angle of 30º.
HONING THE EDGE IN STAGE 1
Turn ON the power and pull the blade thru the left slot (Figure 8) of Stage 1, then thru the
adjacent right slot. Repeat pairs of pulls in Stage 1 using the left and right slots on
alternate pulls. Take about 4-5 seconds for each pull of a 5" long blade. Take longer for
longer blades and slightly less if shorter. The first time you sharpen this type of knife it
may take up to 10 pair of pulls (alternating left and right slots) to fully re-angle the edge
of a thin blade. Thicker blades will require
more pulls. After 3 pairs of pulls check for a
burr as described below and as necessary
continue to make more pairs of pulls until
you create a small burr along the entire
length of the blade.
If you are sharpening a contemporary Asian
blade (which probably has been sharpened
previously at 15 degrees) you will find that
only a few (2-4) pairs of alternating pulls
(alternating left and right slots) will be
needed to develop a burr. Do not over
sharpen. When you have developed a burr
along the full blade length proceed to
Stage 3.
15 DEGREES (30º TOTAL)
English — 7
Figure 7. Cross-section of a typical factory
traditional Asian knife edge, magnified 50x
(right-handed).
Figure 8. Sharpen contemporary Asian knives first
in Stage 1.