The knife edged pivot point has three positions for the weight marked with the nominal value of the resulting torque. The knife handle is gripped in a toggle clamp with rubber-lined jaws to protect the handle surfaces.
When the blade is placed in the horizontal slot of the beam, it is rotated by turning at its handle about the fulcrum until the end of the beam is raised from the bench, then the calculated torque is applied to the joint of handle and blade. The weight attached to the lever can be slotted in to any one of three positions to produce one of three torques i.e.
- 4.5 Nm for handles of an area of 37 cm² or more (most handles)
- 3.7 Nm for handles of an area below 37 cm² (most knives)
- 2.2 Nm for non-metal handles (knives within the scope of table cutlery standard BS 5577, but not EN 8442-2)
This device is also used for Handle Twist Testing.