Chef sChoice E317 Electric Knife Sharpener Instruction Manual
- June 5, 2024
- Chef sChoice
Table of Contents
Chef choice E317 Electric Knife Sharpener
IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS
When using electrical appliances, basic safety precautions should always be followed including the following:
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Read all instructions.
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To protect against electrical hazards do not immerse the EdgeCraft® in water or other liquid.
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Make sure that only clean knife blades are inserted in the EdgeCraft®.
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Unplug from outlet when not in use, before putting on or taking off parts and before cleaning.
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Avoid contacting moving parts.
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Do not operate any appliance with a damaged cord or plug or after the appliance malfunctions, or is dropped or damaged in any manner.
U.S. customers: You may return your sharpener to The Legacy Companies for service where the cost of repair or electrical or mechanical adjustment can be estimated. When the electrical cord on this appliance is damaged, it must be replaced by the EdgeCraft® distributor or another qualified service to avoid the danger of electrical shock.
Outside the U.S.: Please return your sharpener to your local distributor where the cost of repair or electrical or mechanical adjustment can be estimated. If the supply cord of this appliance is damaged, it must be replaced by a repair facility appointed by the manufacturer because special tools are required. Please consult your EdgeCraft® distributor. -
CAUTION! “This appliance may be fitted with a polarized plug (one blade is wider than the other). To reduce the risk of electric shock, this plug will fit in a polarized outlet only one way. If the plug does not fit fully in the outlet, reverse the plug. If it still does not fit, contact a qualified electrician. Do not modify the plug in anyway.”
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The use of attachments not recommended or sold by The Legacy Companies may cause fire, electric shock, or injury.
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The EdgeCraft® Model E317 is designed to sharpen kitchen knives, pocket knives, and most sports knives. Do not attempt to sharpen scissors, ax blades, or any blade that does not fit freely in the slots.
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Do not let the cord hang over the edge of the table or counter or touch hot surfaces.
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When in the “ON” position (The red flash on switch is exposed when “on”) the EdgeCraft® should always be on a stable countertop or table.
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WARNING: KNIVES PROPERLY SHARPENED ON YOUR EDGECRAFT® WILL BE SHARPER THAN YOU EXPECT. TO AVOID INJURY, USE AND HANDLE THEM WITH EXTREME CARE. DO NOT CUT TOWARD ANY PART OF YOUR FINGERS, HAND, OR BODY. DO NOT RUN YOUR FINGER ALONG THE EDGE. STORE IN A SAFE MANNER.
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Do not use outdoors.
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Close supervision is necessary when any appliance is used by or near children.
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Do not use honing oils, water, or any other lubricant with the EdgeCraft®.
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For household use only.
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This appliance is intended to be used in household and similar applications such as: – staff kitchen areas in shops, offices, and other working environments; – farm houses; – clients in hotels, motels, and other residential type environments; – and bed and breakfast type environments.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS.
UNDERSTANDING THE MODEL E317 DIAMOND HONE® SHARPENER
The unique EdgeCraft® Diamond Hone® Sharpener is designed to sharpen knives with either straight or serrated edges. This two (2) stage sharpener has a precision conical sharpening / honing stage with fine 100% diamond abrasives and a unique polishing/stropping stage using proprietary flexible abrasive disks. This combination can be used to create either an astonishingly sharp, smooth faceted edge for effortless cutting and presentations or one with a selected amount of residual “bite” along the facets.
The sharpening and honing actions are controlled by using precisely angled
guides for the blade and precisely matched conically surfaced abrasive disks.
The sharpening angle is slightly larger in Stage 2 than in Stage 1.
Fine diamond-coated conical disks in Stage 1 create microgrooves along the
facets on each side of the edge establishing the first angled bevel of the
edge.
In Stage 2 ultrafine abrasive disks polish and strop the facets immediately adjacent to the edge creating a micro bevel and establishing a microscopically thin straight and the super-polished edge of astonishing sharpness. The stropping action simultaneously polishes and sharpens the boundaries of those microgrooves created by the diamond abrasives in Stage 1 adjacent to the edge until they become sharp micro flutes that will assist the cutting action with “difficult to cut” materials.
This unique two-stage design gives you an edge of remarkable sharpness and
because of the second angle bevel it creates, you will note knives stay sharp
longer than those sharpened by conventional means.
The following sections describe the general procedures for optimal sharpening.
One of the important advantages of using the Model E317 is that you can strop
and polish your knives to razor-sharp edges as often as needed and yet
experience little knife wear compared to older sharpening methods.
Resharpening can commonly be done by using just the stropping action of Stage
2. (See Resharpening Section).
The EdgeCraft® Model E317 Sharpener is equipped with manually activated
diamond dressing pads that can be used if necessary to clean any accumulated
food or sharpen debris off the surface of the polishing/stropping disks. We
strongly urge you to clean your knives before sharpening them. You will find
you can go months or over a year before you need to dress these disks. Only if
you sense a distinct decrease in polishing efficiency will there by any need
to use this convenient feature described further in a subsequent section
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INSTRUCTIONS
READ THIS BEFORE YOU START TO SHARPEN
The EdgeCraft® Model E317 is designed to sharpen either Straight edge or Serrated edge blades.
- 1. Sharpen Serrated Blades Only in Stage 2. Do not sharpen serrated blades in Stage 1 until you read the section titled Procedure for Sharpening Serrated Blades.
2. Straight Edge Blades are sharpened in Stages 1 and 2. Start in Stage 1 if the knife is being sharpened for the first time or if the knife is very dull. See the following section for more details.
PROCEDURE FOR SHARPENING STRAIGHT EDGE BLADES
STRAIGHT EDGE BLADES: SHARPENING FIRST TIME
Before you turn on the power, slip a knife blade smoothly into the slot
between the left angle guide of Stage 1 and the elastomeric spring. Do not
twist the knife. (See Figure 3.)
Move the blade down in the slot until you feel it contact the diamond disk.
Pull it towards you lifting the handle slightly as you approach the tip. This
will give you a feel for the spring tension. Remove the knife and press the
Power Switch. A red “indicator” on the switch appears when this switch is
turned “ON.”
Stage 1: If you are sharpening a straight-edge knife for the first time,
start in Stage 1. Pull the knife once through the left slot of Stage 1 (Figure
3) by slipping the blade between the left angle guide and the polymeric spring
while pulling the blade toward you and simultaneously moving the blade
downward in the slot until it engages the diamond coated disk. You will hear
it make contact with the disk. Insert the blade as close as possible to its
bolster or handle. If the blade is curved, lift the handle slightly as you
sharpen near the tip of the knife, keeping the blade edge approximately
parallel to the table. Sharpen the entire blade length. For an eight (8) inch
blade each pull should take about 6 seconds. Pull shorter blades through in
3-4 seconds and longer blades in
8 seconds. Next, repeat with one full length pull in the right slot of Stage 1
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Note: Each time you insert the blade, simultaneously pull the blade toward
you. Never push the blade away from you. Apply just enough downward pressure
to make contact with the wheel – added pressure does not speed up the
sharpening process.
To ensure uniform sharpening along the entire blade length, insert the blade
near its bolster or handle and pull it at a steady rate until it exits the
slot. Always make an equal number of pulls alternating one pull in the left
slot and then one pull in the right slot in order to keep the edge facets
symmetrical. Generally in Stage 1 you will find that only 3-4 pairs of pulls
is adequate.
Before moving to Stage 2 you will find it helpful to confirm that a burr (see
Figure 5) exists along one side of the edge. To check for the burr, move your
forefinger carefully across the edge as shown. (Do not move your finger along
the edge – to avoid cutting your finger). If the last pull was in the right
slot, the burr will appear only on the right side of the blade (as you hold
it) and vice versa. The burr, when present, feels like a rough and bent
extension of the edge; the opposite side of the edge feels very smooth by
comparison. If a burr exists along the entire edge, proceed to Stage 2.
If no burr exists, make one (1) additional pull in the left and right slots of
Stage 1 before proceeding to Stage 2. Slower pulls will help you develop the
burr. Confirm the presence of the burr and proceed to Stage 2. It is always
necessary to create the burr in Stage 1 before stropping in Stage 2.
If the knife is extremely dull, additional pulls in Stage 1 may be needed
before proceeding to Stage 2.
Stage 2: In general only 2-3 pairs of pulls in Stage 2 will be necessary
to obtain a razor-sharp edge. Make alternate pulls in left (Figure 6) and
right slots pulling the knife through the slots at the same speed used in
Stage 1.
Added pulls in Stage 2 will refine the edge further. Fewer pulls in Stage 2
may be preferable if you will be cutting fibrous foods as discussed in more
detail in the following sections.
OPTIMIZING THE KNIFE-EDGE
FOR GAME, FISH AND FIBROUS MATERIALS
For cutting more fibrous materials you may find it advantageous to sharpen in
Stage 1 – followed directly by only one alternating pair of pulls in Stage 2.
This will leave sharpened micro flutes along with the facets nearer to each
side of the edge (Figure 8) that will assist in the cutting of such materials.
To prepare this type of edge, sharpen in Stage 1 until a burr is developed
along the entire edge. Then move to Stage 2 and make just one pair of pulls.
To resharpen this type of edge, sharpen in Stage 1 until you develop a burr,
and then make one pair of pulls in Stage 2.
PROCEDURE FOR SHARPENING SERRATED BLADES
Serrated blades are similar to small saw blades with scalloped depressions and
a series of pointed teeth. In normal use the pointed teeth do most of the
cutting.
Serrated blades of all types can be sharpened in the EdgeCraft® Model E317.
However, use only Stage 2 (Figure 9), which will sharpen the teeth of the
serrations and develop a microblade along the edge of these teeth. Generally,
five (5) to ten (10) pairs of alternating pulls in Stage 2 will be adequate.
If the serrated knife is very dull more pulls will be needed. If the knife
edge has been severely damaged through use, make just one fast pull (2-3
seconds for an 8” blade) in each of the rights and left slots in Stage 1, then
make a series of pulls in Stage 2, alternating right and left slots. Excessive
use of Stage 1 will remove more metal along the edge than is necessary in
order to sharpen the teeth.
Because serrated blades are saw-like structures, the edges will never appear
to be as
“sharp” as the edge on a straight edge knife. However, their tooth-like
structure can help break the skin on hard crusty foods.
DRESSING TOOL FOR CLEANING OF STROPPING/POLISHING DISKS – STAGE 2
The EdgeCraft® Model E317 is equipped with a built-in accessory to manually
clean/dress the stropping disks in Stage 2. In the event these disks become
glazed with grease, food or sharpening debris, they can be cleaned and
reshaped by actuating the manual lever on the rear of the sharpener. This
lever is located within a recess as shown in Figure 10 on the left lower
corner as you face the rear of Model E317.
To actuate the cleaning/dressing tool, make sure the power is on and simply
press the small lever in the recess to the right or left and hold for 3
seconds. Then press the lever in opposite direction and hold for 3 seconds.
When the lever is moved in one direction, the dressing tool cleans and
reshapes the active surface of one stropping/polishing disk. By moving in the
opposite direction you clean the other disk.
Use this clean/dress accessory only if and when Stage 2 no longer appears to
be sharpening well or when it takes too many pulls to obtain a razor-sharp
edge. Using this tool removes material from the surface of the Stage 2 disk
and hence if used excessively will unnecessarily remove too much of the
abrasive surface – wearing the disks out prematurely. If that should occur,
factory replacement of the disks will become necessary.
If you clean knives regularly before sharpening, you will need to clean or
dress the Stage 2 disks only about once a year or perhaps less frequently.
RESHARPENING (SEE PREVIOUS SECTIONS)
Resharpen straight-edge knives whenever practical using Stage 2. When that
fails to quickly resharpen, return to Stage 1 and make one or two pairs of
alternating pulls. Check for a burr along the edge and then return to Stage 2
where only one to two alternating pairs of pulls will be adequate to put a new
razor-like edge on the knife.
Resharpen serrated blades in Stage 2. See sections above.
SUGGESTIONS
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Always clean all food, fat, and foreign materials from knife before sharpening or resharpening. If soiled, wash the blade before sharpening.
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Use only light downward pressure when sharpening – just enough to establish secure contact with the abrasive disk.
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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 the abrasive disks.
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Always alternate individual pulls in right and left slots (of any stage used).
Specialized Japanese blades are an exception and are sharpened primarily on one side of the blade. -
The edge of the knife blade, while sharpening, should be held in a level position relative to the top of the counter or table. To sharpen the blade near the tip of a curved blade, lift the handle up slightly as you approach the tip so that each section along the curved length of the edge as it is being sharpened is maintained “level” to the table.
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There is no need or advantage to using a “sharpening steel” on knives sharpened on the EdgeCraft® Model E317. Consider resharpening with the manual Chef’sChoice® sharpener Model 464 if you are using knives at a remote location away from electrical power. It is recommended that you keep the Model E317 readily accessible and resharpen often, as described in the Sections above.
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Used correctly, you will find you can sharpen the entire blade to within 1/8” of the bolster or handle. This is a major advantage of the EdgeCraft® Model E317 compared to other sharpening methods – especially important when sharpening chef’s knives where you need to sharpen the entire blade length in order to maintain the curvature of the edge line. If your chef’s knives have a heavy bolster near the handle extending to the edge, a commercial grinder can modify or remove the lower portion of the bolster so that it will not interfere with the sharpening action allowing you to sharpen the entire blade length.
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To increase your proficiency with the EdgeCraft® Model E317, learn how to detect a burr along the edge (as described above). While you can sharpen well without using this technique, it is the best and fastest way to determine when you have sharpened sufficiently in Stage 1. 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 blade sharpness.
NORMAL MAINTENANCE
NO lubrication is required for any moving parts, motor, bearings, or
sharpening surfaces. There is no need for water on abrasives. The exterior of
the sharpener may be cleaned by carefully wiping it with a damp cloth. Do not
use detergents or abrasives.
Once a year or so as needed, you can remove metal dust that will accumulate
inside the sharpener from repeated sharpenings. Remove the small rectangular
clean-out cover
(Figure 11) that covers an opening on the underside of the sharpener. You will
find metal particles adhered to a magnet attached to the inside of that cover.
Simply rub off or brush off accumulated filings from the magnet with a paper
towel or toothbrush and reinsert the cover in the opening. If larger amounts
of metal must have been created or if the Stage 2 disk has been cleaned (using
the cleaning/dressing tool) you can shake out any remaining dust through the
bottom opening when the cover is removed. After cleaning, replace the cover
securely with its magnet in place.
SERVICE
In the event post-warranty service is needed, return your sharpener to The
Legacy Companies factory where the cost of repair can be estimated before the
repair is undertaken. Outside the USA, contact your retailer or national
distributor.
Please include your return address, daytime telephone number and a brief
description of the problem or damage on a separate sheet inside the box.
Retain a shipping receipt as evidence of shipment and as your protection
against loss in shipment.
The Legacy Companies
149 Cleveland Drive, Paris, KY 40361 U.S.A.
Made in the U.S.A. with the U.S. and globally sourced materials.
This product may be covered by one or more EdgeCraft patents and/or patents
pending as marked on the product. Chef’sChoice®, EdgeCraft®, Diamond Hone®,
EdgeSelect®, and the overall design of this product are registered trademarks
of the EdgeCraft Corporation.
Conforms to UL Std. 982 Certified to CAN/CSA Std. C22.2 No. 64
Certified to EN 60335-1, EN 60335-2, EN 55014-1+A1, EN 61000-3-2, EN 61000-3-3
© The Legacy Companies 2021