Chef's Choice AngleSelect DC 1520 Instructions Manual page 9

CONVERTING EUROPEAN/AMERICAN KNIFE
EDGE TO 15 DEGREE ASIAN STYLE EDGE
With the DC 1520 you can convert most European or American style knives that are used
primarily for light duty work to the 15 degree Asian edge. For example you might consider
converting light duty paring knives and thin utility blades to 15 degrees. To make this conversion
follow the Instructions for Sharpening Asian Blades, pages 5 to 7. Initial sharpening in Stage 1 will
take longer than you might expect but subsequent resharpening time will be normal.
PROCEDURE FOR SHARPENING
Serrated blades can be sharpened in Stage 3 (see Figure 10). If the serrated edge is on the left
side of the knife, place in the left slot and vice versa. Generally, three to five pulls in Stage 3 will
be adequate. If the serrated knife is very dull, more pulls will be needed.
Because of their saw-like structures, the edges of serrated blades will never appear to be as
"sharp" as the edge on a straight edge knife.
1. Always clean all food, fat and foreign materials from the blade surfaces before sharpening or
resharpening. If badly soiled, use detergent and water to clean.
2. Some contemporary Asian knives and Granton type blades are dimpled and some
contemporary and traditional Asian blades are made of layered Damascus steel. All of these
should be sharpened accordingly to these instructions depending solely on whether the knife
style is contemporary (two facets) or a traditional single facet Asian blade.
3. Always pull the blades at the recommended speed and at a constant rate over length of
blade. Never interrupt or stop the motion of the blade when in contact with abrasive disks.
4. Carefully follow the detailed procedures for each type blade for best results and to extend
the useful life of your knives. The sharpening sequence is especially important with the single
sided traditional Asian blades.
5. The edge of the knife blade, while sharpening, should remain in contact with the rotating
abrasive disks as the knife is withdrawn from the guiding slot. To sharpen the blade near the
tip of a curved blade, lift the handle up slightly as you approach the tip of the blade but just
enough so that the edge as it is being sharpened maintains audible contact with the honing
or stropping disk.
6. To increase your proficiency with the Chef'sChoice® AngleSelect DC 1520, learn how to detect
a burr along the edge (as described on page 8). While you might be able to sharpen well
without using this technique, it is the fastest way to determine when you have sharpened
sufficiently in the preliminary steps. This will help you avoid oversharpening and ensure
incredibly sharp edges every time. Cutting a tomato or a piece of paper is a convenient
method of checking for finished blade sharpness.
7. Use only light downward pressure when sharpening – just enough to establish secure contact
with the abrasive disk.
Figure 9. Honing in Stage 2 (left slot). European
and American style blade.
SERRATED BLADES
SUGGESTIONS
English — 9
Figure 10. Use only Stage 3 for sharpening
serrated knives.