Chef'sChoice 315XV Instructions Manual

Model 315XV

instructions

Sharpener For Contemporay European,

American and Asian Style Knives

(15° Edges)

Read these instructions before use.

It is essential that you follow these

instructions to achieve optimum results.

© 2016 EdgeCraft Corp.

IMPORTANT SAFEGUARDS

When using electrical appliances, basic safety precautions should always be
followed including the following:

1. Read all instructions. Every user should read this manual.

2. To protect against electrical hazards, do not immerse the Chef’sChoice

®

Model 315XV

in water or other liquid.

3. Make sure only clean knife blades are inserted in the Model 315XV.

4. Disconnect the appliance from its power source when not in use, before cleaning,
during service and when replacing parts.

5. Avoid contacting moving parts.

6. 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 can return your sharpener to EdgeCraft’s factory 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 Chef’sChoice
distributor or other qualified service to avoid the danger of electrical shock.

Outside 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 Chef’sChoice distributor.

7. 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.

8. The use of attachments not recommended or sold by EdgeCraft Corporation may cause
fire, electric shock or injury.

9. The Chef’sChoice

®

Model 315XV is designed to sharpen knives. Do not attempt to

sharpen scissors, ax blades or any blade that does not fit freely in the slots.

10. Do not let the cord hang over edge of table or counter or touch hot surfaces.

11. When in the “ON” position (Red flash on switch is exposed when “on”), the
Chef’sChoice

®

sharpener should always be on a stable countertop or table.

12. WARNING: KNIVES PROPERLY SHARPENED ON YOUR CHEF’SCHOICE

®

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
FINGER ALONG EDGE. STORE IN A SAFE MANNER.

13. Do not use outdoors.

14. Appliance is not intended to be used or cleaned by children or persons with reduced
physical, sensory or mental capabilities or lack of experience and knowledge of the
hazards involved.

15. Do not use honing oils, water or any other lubricant with the Model 315XV.

16. For household use only.

17.

SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS.

2

3

YOU MADE A GOOD CHOICE

You are likely aware of which of your knives have 15 degree edges and which have the older
20 degree edges. Until recently virtually all knives sold in America were either made in Europe
or the U.S. and these were universally sharpened at 20 degrees. Around year 2000 Asian
style knives sharpened at 15 degrees became popular. Within the last few years most popular
European and American brand knives converted to 15 degree edges.

The Model 315XV Asian Sharpener designed with the latest sharpening, polishing and stropping
technology from Chef’sChoice gives you a precision sharpener that can quickly restore your
contemporary 15° Euro/American and Asian style knives to their original factory sharpness. This
new sharpener incorporates the highly precise angle control and the unique stropping materials
that has made Chef’sChoice sharpeners the choice of leading chefs worldwide.

You will appreciate how the ultrafine abrasives in the stropping disks of this sharpener delicately
hone and polish the extraordinary sharp edges characteristic of the contemporary blades. By
following these Instructions you can also, if you wish, convert any of your thinner traditional
20° Euro/American style knives to the narrower 15° angle edge and experience a significantly
improved performance. These instructions describe how each of your contemporary Euro/
American and Asian style knives, including the traditional single sided Japanese blades, can be
edged with the Model 315XV.

CONTEMPORARY 15° KNIVES

Contemporary 15° knives differ from traditional 20° Euro/American style knives in that the most
popular contemporary blades have a thinner cross section where the edge facets are formed.
In addition each cutting edge facet is generally set at an angle substantially less than the
conventional facets on traditional 20° Euro/American blades. The thinner blade behind the
edge facets and the smaller angled facets of contemporary 15° blades reduce the amount of
effort needed to cut or slice. Contemporary 15° type blades are ideal for preparing, slicing and
chopping vegetables, for filleting fish and for preparing the popular sushi and sashimi. For more
information on the design of contemporary 15° Euro/American and Asian style knives refer to
the Description of Contemporary 15° and Traditional 20° Blades, page 9.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHEF’SCHOICE® 315XV SHARPENER

The Chef’sChoice® Model 315XV is designed to create a factory sharp 15° edge on all
contemporary Euro/American and Asian style knives, all Chinese style cleavers and the
traditional style single side Japanese blades. Because of the narrow sharpening angle and the
fine diamond abrasives used in this sharpener,
it is not recommended for routine sharpening
of thick sporting knives, the heavier European
style chef knives and European cleavers. These
thicker knives can be sharpened in other
Chef’sChoice

®

sharpeners such as Models 120,

15, 2000 and 2100.
The Model 315XV sharpener has one sharp-

ening stage 1 followed by a stropping stage
2 as shown in Figure 1. The sharpening stage
hones the edge at about 15 degrees with a fine
diamond abrasive. The second stage strops and

Figure 1. Model 315XV Sharpener.

Power
Switch

Stage 1

Left Right
Slot Slot

Stage 2

Left Right
Slot Slot

Knife
Holding
Spring

4

polishes the edge to a finer finish at a slightly larger angle. In both Stage 1 and Stage 2 the left
side and right side of the blade are sharpened separately, which allows you to hone and strop
each type of Asian knife correctly. The contemporary Japanese blades and Chinese cleavers
should be honed and stropped on both sides of the blade. However, the traditional single bevel
Japanese blade, such as the sashimi blade, must be sharpened and stropped primarily on the
front side of the blade, which has the very large factory bevel (Bevel A. See page 9, Figure 9b for
further details).

The Model 315XV is equipped with a manually actuated diamond dressing pad that can be used,
if necessary, to clean any accumulated food or sharpening debris from the ultrafine abrasive
surface of the Stage 2 polishing/stropping disks. We strongly urge that you always thoroughly
clean your knives before sharpening them. Unless you are a heavy user, you should go months
or even a year or more before you need to dress the stropping/polishing disks. Only if you sense
a distinct decrease in polishing efficiency in Stage 3 is there any need to use this convenient
feature described on page 10.

Never operate the sharpener from the back side. Use just enough downward pressure when
sharpening to ensure uniform and consistent contact of the blade with the abrasive disks on
each stroke. Additional pressure is unnecessary and will not speed the sharpening process.
Avoid excessive cutting into the plastic enclosure. Accidental cutting into the enclosure however
will not functionally impact operations of the sharpener or damage the edge.

Try a practice pull through the sharpener before you turn on the power. S lip the knife blade
smoothly into the left slot between the left angle guide of Stage 1 and the plastic knife holding
spring. Do not twist the knife. 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 read the instructions specific to the type
of knife you will be sharpening.

SHARPENING THE CONTEMPORARY EURO/AMERICAN AND

ASIAN STYLE KNIFE

Before sharpening your knife, refer to Description of Contemporary 15° and Traditional 20°
blades, pages 9 and 10, to confirm which type of knife you have and that you do in fact have
a double faceted blade. All double faceted Asian blades and newer Euro/American blades are
defined as contemporary blades. Most of the popular Asian blades such as the Santoku currently
sold in the United States are the double faceted contemporary design.

USE HONING STAGE 1

a. Pull the blade alternately through the left and right slots (see Figure 3) of Stage 1, making about 3 pair of

alternating pulls, taking about 3 seconds for each pull. Check the edge carefully to confirm the presence
of a burr (see Figure 4), which will be quite small since the Stage 1 abrasive is quite fine. To check for
the burr, move your forefinger carefully across the edge as shown in Figure 4. (Do not move your finger
along the edge—to avoid cutting your finger). If the last pull was in the right slot, the burr would appear
only on the right side of the blade (as you normally 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. When a burr exists along the entire edge, proceed to strop and polish again in Stage 2.