Bacon slicer blade holder ?

[sundodger]

Hi all, further to previous posts on slicers & the failings of domestic machines to cut bacon, I myself was struggling with my own, in that I had to trim bacon to fit the machine. I had tried rolling & tying the slab, but the machine really didn't like that at all ! Anyway, I happened to mention this to my local supermarket owner, who is also a friend & as luck would have it, they had an old redundant machine, that they very generously just gave to me ! The machine is an Italian made Essedue - manufactured 1992 according to the plate, it has a 12 inch blade & rated at 0.4 HP. Have checked it out & machine is in very good condition, however the blade is wickedly sharp & my question is... I believe a special tool is normally used during the removal & replacing of the blade for cleaning ? I really don't fancy swishing the thing around in soapy water with my hands, so anyone know if & where this type of tool can be obtained. I have tried internet search but so far drawn a blank.

[Oddwookiee]

I have had and worked with a number of slicers over the years, and we always just deal with it. It's sharp as dickens, everybody knows it, so just be careful. If you're really that worried, get a pair of cotton gloves to wear while cleaning it. It's sharp, but it's not going to chew a person up if they're careful. No reason to spend money on some fancy tool when just being aware of the sharp will do just fine.

[wheels]

Perhaps you could email the manufacturer:

http://www.essedue.com/eng/index.php

HTH

Phil