Edgecraft Chef's Choice 130 - Manual (Page 8)

underStandIng the profeSSIonal Steeled edge
With the Chef’sChoice ® Professional Sharpening Station ® you will for the first time be able to
experience the pleasure of cutting and slicing with perfectly steeled edges. You can in just sec-
onds create steeled edges with that extra “bite” and sharpness unmatched by even the most
experienced professionals.
The steeling Stage 2 contains a unique miniature steel made of a special high carbon steel
hardened to about Rockwell C-65 which is much harder than any commercially available cut-
lery. Consequently this special rod will show very little wear from repeated contact with the edge
as you steel your finest and hardest knives.
Precision knife guides in Stage 2 control and precisely align the face of the knife as the blade
is inserted into the slot between the guide and the blade retention spring (See figure 8). To use,
insert the blade alternately into the left and then the right slots and pull forward so that the knife
is held securely and the edge slides along the surface of the hardened miniature steel. When
steeling, it is not necessary to turn on the electrical power, however power is always needed
when using Stages 1 and 3.
The steel rod is supported by elastomeric materials that allow the rod to deflect when ex-
cessive force is applied to the blade. This feature and the ultra-precise and consistent angular
contact maintained stroke after stroke between the knife edge and the hardened steel rods are
key to optimizing the edge structure. Viewed under a microscope, the edge created by steeling
in Stage 2 presents a uniform formation of exceedingly fine and super-sharp micro-serrations.
Even after many uses and steeling of the knife edge, the original edge geometry is maintained
and the edge does not round-off like it would using a conventional manual steel, which has no
angle control.
Because of the consistent and precise angular control, Stage 2 maintains a shaving sharp
edge while it creates the uniform row of microscopic serrations along the knife edge. If the edge
is damaged when used for cutting, the Steeling Station will restore the edge micro-serrations
while maintaining the sharpness of the edge. This type of edge conditioning is unique to the
Sharpening Station.
At the top of the miniature steel rod is a slotted cap that accepts a coin or other tool so you
can rotate the steel rod slightly (one “click”) to expose a fresh area of the steel rod surface
(Figure 9). This is necessary only if the rod becomes sufficiently worn locally that the edge
conditioning process slows significantly. When the rod is rotated, fresh surfaces of the steel
are made available in both the left and right slots. A spring finger extends from the end of the
knife retention spring and clicks into a shallow groove in the cap on top of the steel rod. When a
Figure 8. Blade should be Steeled alternately in left and
right slots of Stage 2. Figure 9. Rotating the steel with coin in slot.
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