I.O. Shen Mastergrade Chef Knives
Care & Safety Tips
- Prior to first use rinse under hot water.
- Your I.O. Shen Mastergrade knife has been protectively coated to avoid any possible corrosion during shipment. This coating is non toxic, however, you may notice some discolouration on the blade until the coating is removed. The coating wears off over time by normal hand washing of your knife, however, if you are concerned with discolouration, remove coating by gentle hand washing using Jif Cream and a Scotch-Brite Scourer.
- Never clean your knife in a dish washer. Always rinse and clean your knife by hand and dry with a soft cloth. To avoid injuries, never leave your knife in the washing water and always dry your knife from the back of the blade.
- Acidic foodstuffs like lemon juice should be washed off directly after use.
- Hardwood or synthetic cutting boards are recommended. Glass and granite cutting boards should not be used as they will blunt and ruin the cutting edge of your knife.
- Your I.O.Shen Mastergrade Triplex Steel knife has used the very latest technology to construct a blade that is not only amazingly sharp but will also retain its edge for an exceptional amount of time. However, it is important that you never use your knife to cut through bone as it will chip and damage the blade. Do not use the tip of your knife to lever objects.
- To avoid damage to the cutting edge never store your knife with other metallic objects.
Sharpening Solutions - How to Sharpen a Knife
Total Knife Care recommends using a Nirey KE-198, KE-3000 or KE-280 Electric Knife Sharpening Machine to acheive a razor edge.
Before grabbing a knife and just sticking it into the machine, take time to look at the knife and the existing edge and consider what you are trying to achieve.
If the knife is poor quality, constructed from soft stainless steel, it will never achieve the sharpness of a good quality knife.
If the knife edge profile is distorted or has a pronounced shoulder this must be corrected before attempting to achieve a sharp cutting edge.
Re-profiling: A fairly new abrasive belt reduces time. If you have quick change carrier wheels fitted with medium grade abrasives (GR2185B), these will achieve desired results quickly and then change over to finishing (fine) abrasives in seconds, not minutes.
Re-profiling is carried out by using step 1 (printed on the machine top cover) which involves the maximum recommended pressure (1.5kgs), which is not much! This moves the abrasive contact point up the cutting edge to thin the shoulder. Always use alternative passes L,R,L and 2 –3 passes on each side. Taking about 2-3 seconds per pass (8”cooks knife) should be sufficient.
Sharpening: With the profile corrected, continue to stages 2 & 3 noticing the reduced down pressure necessary. Stage 3 pressure is only 0.03kgs, which is no more than the weight of the knife itself. For ultimate sharpness, switch to worn belts for the final sharpening / polishing stages.
- Avoid Cutting Belts, position the machine correctly relative to the hand holding the knife, not your body centreline. Left-handed operators will not be able to use the grab handle.
- Lower the knife vertically into the groove and draw back smoothly. If the knife has a tang (sometimes called French Bolster) you will not be able to sharpen the 20mm nearest to the handle.
- Use the correct down pressure for each sharpening stage – invariably operators use excessive down pressure – this will not achieve the desired results.
- If the knife has a curved blade profile, alter the angle of the knife so the contact point of the knife is always parallel to the contact point of the abrasive.
- If the knife edge touches the front casing of the machine top section, your hand is too high. If it touches the back, your hand is too low.
With a little practise, you should become proficient at knife sharpening and achieve results at least equal (and often better) than when the knife was new. If you cut a belt or don’t feel satisfied with the results, look to yourself – not the machine.
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