It makes no difference whether the upper or lower screw in the test fixture faces you. Just
make certain the wide slot in the test fixture is squarely aligned with the narrow slot in the
fulcrum. It is possible that some styles of knife blades will be too thick to seat in the bottom of
the fulcrum slot but that is OK. Just make certain that the knife
edge
remains in the slot and
that the sides of the knife blade are held in a vertical position during the measurement process.
Don't let the side of the knife blade tip toward or away from you during the measurement
process or it could skew your results slightly.
Figure 7
shows proper positioning of the knife, as
viewed from above, during the measurement process. Blade vertical, fulcrum and test fixture
slots aligned and centered.
Remember!
We're not chopping carrots (at least not yet!) but measuring the sharpness of an
edge. Your downward movement with the knife should be slow and deliberate. Try to find a
seated position with arms resting on the worktop for greater control and stability. When the
test media severs the measurement is complete.
Pass/Fail Mode -
This is a very fast and simple mode to operate your Sharp
in. Let's say that
you always want your kitchen cutlery to have a minimum sharpness level and let's say that that
level is 350 (about the level most new kitchen cutlery is). Begin just as if you were going to take
a normal sharpness measurement but this time, before mounting the knife, place your finger on
the top of the test media fixture and press down steadily until the display reads 350 (or any
other value you have selected). Now begin the measurement process. If your knife's edge
sharpness score is 350 or less the media will sever and the display will remain unchanged. If the
