Mandolin Frame is constructed of ABS plastic and offers folding legs for compactstorage. The blades are constructed of a combination of stainless steel and ABSplastic. It provides excellent strength, durability and hygiene. The mandolin frameand blades are dishwasher safe although hand washing may extend the life ofyour product. Dial-A-Slice thickness adjustment system allow you to quickly select/change thicknessesbetween 1mm to 8mm. Bowl notches in frame bottom provides stability whenslicing/grating directly into almost any size mixing bowl or sauce pot. Safe Hands Food Holder offers unparalleled safety as its design takes advantage ofthe downward and forward motion used during the slicing operation to keep yourfingers safely inside the cavity of the food holder. This makes it virtually impossiblefor your fingers to slip off onto the exposed, razor sharp blades. Thefood holder consists of a base and a two piece telescoping top that easily separatesfor complete cleaning. Slice Thickness Adjustment System allows you to easily adjust slice thickness. Thereare two tightening knobs on either side of the mandolin frame, which are tobe loosened when switching from one slice thickness to another. With the knobs loosened,raise or lower the upper plate to the desired slice thickness. Please notethere are slice thickness markings on the inside upper portion of the mandolinframe. Once you have positioned the upper plate at the desired thickness indicator,hold in place while re-tightening the tightening knobs