Uncapping knife SpeedKing® Pierce USA

01 · HOW IT HEATS

Thermostat in the blade, thirty seconds

The thermostat sits inside the blade itself, not in the handle or the cable: the temperature settles where the cutting happens and holds itself while you work. From cold, it comes up to temperature in about 30 seconds.

That changes the rhythm of the day compared with a water-warmed knife: no alternating two blades, no waiting for one to warm. You cut continuously, and the wax parts by heat rather than by pressure.

02 · HOW TO CUT

Never stop mid-pass

The pass has to be continuous and at a steady speed. If the blade stops on the comb, the heat keeps working at that point and the wax scorches and darkens exactly there.

And the difference you cannot forget: this is an electrical appliance. It does not go into water and it is not left switched on resting on the bench. Put it in its stand or unplug it.

03 · BLADE AND HANDLE

304 stainless and turned wood

The blade is 304 stainless steel, 25 cm long by 5 wide — sized to cover the frame in one pass. The handle is turned wood, which stays cool even with the blade up to temperature.

The cable is 2.4 metres, enough to move round the bench without an extension.

04 · THE ORIGINAL

Patented in 1941

The SpeedKing was patented by Paul Pierce in 1941 and is still made by hand in southern California. It is the design that set the standard for the electric uncapping knife, which is why so many similar versions exist.

It comes with two years of warranty.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

The electric step up in uncapping: