NEW MORE POWERFUL MOTOR AND INTEGRATED TRANSFORMER
(The predecessor of this sharpener, the KE168 has now been discontinued)

The KE3000 utilizes the same patented cushion contact system as the KE-280 – producing the razor sharp and POLISHED edge finish which no other system can match but using a lighter frame, motor and transmission than it’s larger brother, the KE-280, which has reduced the price to £129.95

The KE-168 Professional Electric Knife Sharpening Machine has been introduced to bridge the gap between the domestic model, KE-198 and the multi-award winning commercial machine, the KE-280.
The KE-168 is not designed for continuous commercial use, as is the KE-280. The typical customer profile would be an individual professional chef or simply a private individual, maybe a keen amateur chef, who wishes achieve the ultimate cutting edge their knives can achieve (it is a fact that the better the quality of the cutting edge steel, the better the ultimate finished edge).

The KE-168 will sharpen virtually any knife – straight, curved, serrated and exotic Japanese steel knives to as new or better standard and whilst we can’t promise it will make you a better cook, having razor sharp knives for preparation and carving certainly helps.

The KE-168 is supplied with external transformer and fuse protected plug adaptor. Original equipment abrasives are SC-02-C fine abrasive belts – non-directional.

Technical Information Safety Standard – European CE Dimensions – L = 310mm H = 110mm W = 110mm Weight – Machine 1.4kg Transformer = 0.9kg Powerful motor – torque 1200 gcm Wheel rotation speed – 2500 rpm Max vertical contact – 13mm Average sharpening angle – 15°

SHARPENING TIPS

Knives must be clean and dry before sharpening and cleaned after sharpening.

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.