How to Clean and Lubricate Your Electric Knife

Press both blade-release buttons at the front of the handle and pull the blades straight out.

Set the blades aside in a safe place, cutting edges pointing away from your hands.

Remove all Phillips screws that hold the two plastic shells together; this model uses three.

Lift the upper shell straight up to reveal the motor, wiring and drive mechanism.

Locate the eccentric cam gear, metal spacer, motor, power cord and switch inside the handle.

Lift the thin metal spacer off the cam and note its orientation for reassembly.

Slide the eccentric cam gear off its shaft together with any distance rings or washers.

Set the gear train parts on a clean cloth in the order you removed them.

Scrape the thick, sticky factory grease off the cam, gear teeth and housing pockets.

Dip a toothbrush in isopropyl alcohol and scrub old grease from gears, cam, motor shaft and housing.

Rinse stubborn residue with a degreaser and wipe dry with a lint-free cloth.

Blow compressed air through the housing to remove loosened crumbs and dust.

Spread a generous coat of multipurpose grease onto every gear tooth and the cam’s sliding face.

Apply a thin smear of grease to the blade entry chute to stop the blades sticking during removal.

Place one small drop of light machine oil on each bronze bushing that supports the motor shaft.

Spin the shaft by hand so the oil wicks evenly around the bearing surfaces.

Wipe the trigger switch with alcohol to remove greasy fingerprints that can make it stick.

Refit the internal splash guard so liquids cannot reach the motor through the switch opening.

Return the gear, spacer and cam to the shaft in the same order and orientation you recorded.

Close the housing and reinstall the screws, matching long screws to the front and short screws to the rear.

Insert the blades until they click, then turn the drive by hand to confirm smooth motion.