Chef's Choice SteelPro 470 Series Manual

SteelPro

®

Model 470 Series

CZGB

SteelPro

®

Congratulations!

As an owner of the Chef’sChoice® SteelPro®, you will be able to experience for
the first time the pleasure of cutting and slicing with perfectly steeled edges. The
SteelPro® creates a unique cutting edge much superior to that obtainable with
conventional steels. The SteelPro® edge will consistently have a good “bite” and
will, uniquely, stay very sharp as you continue to use the SteelPro®. No skill is
required and even a first time user will find it easy to use.

The SteelPro® eliminates the uncertainty, inconsistency and intimidation of the
age-old method of unguided manual steeling. With the SteelPro® you will in just
seconds be able to consistently obtain superior edges with that extra “bite” and
sharpness unmatched by even the most experienced professionals.

You will quickly realize how much less intimidating it is to use the SteelPro®
compared to conventional uncontrolled manual steeling.

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Description of SteelPro

The SteelPro® is designed to be used either right or left handed (Figure 1 and 2).
The soft-touch handle is shaped and sized for a comfortable hold. The SteelPro®
can be hung by the metal ring attached to the handle or stored flat in a drawer
or on a shelf.

The SteelPro® contains two unique rods made of a special high carbon steel
hardened to about Rockwell C-65, which is much harder than any commercially
available cutlery. Consequently these special rods will show very little wear from
the repeated contact with the edge of your finest and hardest knives.

Two precision knife guides, with planes set at about 23 degrees to the vertical
center line of the hardened rods, 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. In use, the blade is inserted alternately into the left and then the right
slots and pulled forward so that the knife edge slides along the surface of the
hardened steel rod.

The steel rods are supported by elastomeric materials that allow the rods to
deflect when excessive 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 SteelPro® edge presents a
uniform formation of exceedingly fine and super-sharp micro-serrations.
Furthermore, even after many uses of the SteelPro® on a knife, the original

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Figure 1. Right-handed use. Figure 2. Left-handed use.

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edge geometry is maintained and the edge does not round-off like it would
using a conventional steel with no angle control.

Because of the consistent angular relationship between the individual facets
on each side of the knife edge and the steel rods, the SteelPro® simultaneously
maintains a shaving sharp edge while it creates the uniform row of microscopic
serrations along the edge. If the edge is damaged when used for cutting, the
SteelPro® will restore the edge micro-serrations while maintaining the sharpness
of the edge. This type of edge conditioning is unique to the SteelPro®.

On top of each steel rod is a slotted cap that accepts a coin or other tool so you
can rotate the steel rod slightly to expose a fresh area of the steel rod surface
(Figure 3). This is necessary only if the rod becomes sufficiently worn that the
edge conditioning process slows significantly. When the rod is rotated, fresh
surfaces are made available in both the left and right slots. A spring finger
extends from each end of the knife retention spring and clicks into a shallow
groove in the cap on top of each steel rod. When necessary to use a new
surface on the steel, rotate the slot counter-clockwise one click. By this means
approximately 55 pairs of “steeling” areas are available over the lifetime of the
rods. You will find with use that the rod closest to you will experience the most
wear. The rod to the rear need not be rotated as often. Because the knife edge
can be pulled over a given pair of areas on the rods several thousand times
before the wear affects the rate or
precision of the edge formation, the
rods need not be rotated very often
and they can last a lifetime in normal
household use. Replacement rods
are, however, available from the
EdgeCraft Corporation.

The SteelPro® features small rubber
feet for a secure hold to any dry
surface. The soft-touch handle is
designed to improve the grip and
reduce hand slippage.

Figure 3.

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Using the SteelPro

You will find the SteelPro® can maintain an exceedingly effective razor sharp
edge on all of your cutlery. While it is extremely simple to use, we urge you to
read the instructions in order to optimize your results.

Knife manufacturers have for years suggested steeling as a good way to main­tain the knife edge. Users and manufacturers alike know however that knives
must be professionally sharpened before steeling and periodically thereafter
when the steeling process becomes too slow or ineffective. Consequently,
whether you are steeling with a conventional steel or the SteelPro®, you will
need to resharpen the edge periodically with a professional sharpener.

If you are uncertain of the angle of your knife edges, we recommend that you
presharpen the edge at a total angle of 40° before using the SteelPro®. Most new
factory edges are sharpened in the range of 30 to 40 degrees but a very few are
sharpened as low as 20 degrees total. Any edge angled at 40° or less can be
effectively maintained with the SteelPro®. Similarly if your edge is very dull we
recommend that it be sharpened first with a quality knife sharpener angled at
about 40 degrees. The SteelPro® can then swiftly and repeatedly create an
extremely effective microstructure along the edge while maintaining its
sharpness. You will be impressed with the how effective this type of edge can be.

Chef’sChoice® manual and professional electric sharpeners, recognized world
wide for their premium angle control, have a first sharpening stage that is ideal
for presharpening the knife for the SteelPro®. If you are uncertain about the
sharpening angle of your sharpener, contact the manufacturer and inquire what
angles are used.

To use the SteelPro®, if you are right handed (Figure 1), grip and steady the
SteelPro® handle with your left and hold the knife in your right. Move the blade
forward as you insert it between one guide plane and the blade retaining spring
as close as possible to the bolster or handle. The face of the blade should be in
intimate contact with the guide plane. Pull the blade toward you as you press
down lightly on the blade so that the edge makes good contact with the steel
rod. Make sure that the edge maintains steady contact with the steel rod from
the handle to the tip of the blade. Repeat this procedure, making a full stroke in
the opposite slot between that guide and the spring. You should repeat this
motion, making alternating pairs of pulls until the edge is fully conditioned.

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