online videos about tormek, useful or not?

[Ken S]

How does a beginner with the Tormek or someone considering purchasing a Tormek know which of the online videos are valuable?

I try to watch all the Tormek related online videos. Here is what I have found: Many of these videos have errors and represent either inexperience of just sloppy technique. A number of the presenters seem to have very little experience with the Tormek.

Whose videos should we trust? In my opinion, the most experienced Tormek presenter, hands down, is Jeff Farris. Jeff demoed and sold Tormeks for more than twenty years. His videos are easily found online, and are outstanding. One of Jeff's video is accessible from tormek.com

Alan Holtham  does a fine job, also. Alan's videos are also on the tormek.com website. Alan's videos cover the newer equipment. I find his videos slightly slanted toward marketing, however, Alan's technique is solid and well presented. I have found his video on the DBS-22 drill bit jig outstanding. I watch it before every session sharpening drill bits. (Admittedly, I do not sharpen drill bits very often; Alan's video gets my memory warmed up.)

A newcomer to the "nice list" is Stumpy Nubs. (google him). Stumpy has a fun routine, and it is backed up by some solid technique. The first episode of Stumpy's show I watched featured his sidekick, Mustache Mike, reviewing the Tormek BGM-100, which adapts the Tormek jigs to dry grinders. Mike gave a thorough and fair review, which was refreshing. A "must see" part of Stumpy's program is a long conversation with Stig discussing why the tormek costs so much. As Mike might say, "I give it five mustachios".

The further one ventures from this group, the more attentive one must be for errors. My advice is to study these three sources. I would add a fourth source, the Tormek Friends" , as seen on the tormek.com website. I have enjoyed all of them, especially the video with Per Fritzell.

Good watching.

Ken

[SharpenADullWitt]

Guess for one, it depends on what turns up in ones search. Nothing beats practice though.
I don't know that Tormek is demo'd anymore at shows (how I first found out about it, around 2004, when Jeff was presenting).  So I would think more likely they are going to know someone that has one, either in person, or via a forum around some sort of hobby (woodworking, knifemaking, etc).  That would lead them to find out who was bought from.
When it comes to Youtube, I think Jeff's video's are still towards the top of the search. (I did a search and three are the top three of four and the fact they show different tools, makes me think one would click his name and see them all)  Normally, one would watch what they want to sharpen and then other things they might be interested in.
I am not sure one trusts any video's.  You generally are skeptical (trying to sell you something) and are using them for idea's (learn what to try or not).  When you have an item, then you start to trust as your experience goes up or you can see how something is put together.  This goes from using the Tormek to what a friend asked me (bought something that was missing instructions), how to assemble/use a magnetic bicycle trainer.
The Tormek friends video's, I just see as "cute marketing" video's.  I would rather see more how to video's, for things such as the FAQ on this site, about serrated knives, recommended heights one should use it at, etc, and less fluff.

[Ken S]

I see your point, SADW, however, I don't entirely agree.

I expect any manufacturer or merchant's videos to be positive about their own products. Why else would they carry the cost of production, if not to sell more units? I would not expect anything more or less from Tormek. I remember a statement made by the instructor of a sales course I took in the 1970s. "Good sales is good education. If you educate the potential customer about your product, and he believes it will benefit him, he will purchase it."

For the record, the Tormek is still being demoed. This Friday and Saturday, it will be demoed in Hartville, Ohio. As I posted recently, part of the tool show is a twenty percent discount on all Tormek jigs and accessories. That translates into very comparable prices for new warranted items compared with used prices.

Even an old guy like me googles products for more information. I expect and accept certain biases in videos, as I do in ads. I do not limit my searching to Tormek. I also realize that an endorser's choice of product may change, depending who sponsors the video.

What I do look for is accurate and informative information about the product and using it. In that regard, I still rank Jeff's Tormek videos as at the head of the class. Obviously Tormek is compensating Alan Holtham. I have no problem with that, as I have found the information in his videos valuable in my using of the products. I'm sure Stumpy must receive some valuable consideration for his programming. That's ok. I was impressed with the fairness and quality of the review Mike gave for the Tormek BGM-100. In my opinion, that was honesty, not just consideration.

I do not see the Tormek Friends videos as just "cute marketing". I have no doubt that the marketing department underwrote them and they certainly put the best foot forward for Tormek. I don't see where that condemns them to being just fluff pieces.

If you have read my past posts, I have argued for more technical instruction videos from Tormek. I still feel that way. People today seem to prefer learning by video to learning by reading. Watching a well done video can convey much information. I wish all the Tormek related videos went into more detail.

What I do not like are the videos which are obviously done with very little knowledge or sloppy technique. As an example, I watched a knife sharpening video where the presenter, supposedly a professional knife sharpener, demonstrated sharpening a knife he stated was "just off sharp". He ground it with the coarse (220) grit and then went directly to the leather honing wheel. He proclaimed the knife sharp and cut paper with it. He then stated that he probably could have gotten the knife sharper if he had used the stone graded fine.Would you hire him to sharpen your knives?

I knew enough to see the errors in his presentation. Would a new Tormek user or someone first considering the Tormek?

Another presenter, whose presentation contained several factual errors about the Tormek, stated that he had started turning last year. He had purchased a turning gouge and ground his way through it in a year. He was proud of how sharp his new gouge was after sharpening it with the Tormek. I noticed his leather honing wheel looked barely used, if at all, and he did not have the accessory V and round face leather honing devices mounted on his Tormek. Once mounted, they are rarely removed by a turner. How could he have properly honed his gouge without them? (especially for a video reviewing the Tormek)

The point of my original post was to help steer new and inquiring people away from this kind of erroneous videos and toward videos with more accurate substance. I would be the first to recommend non Tormek videos, if I felt they were worthwhile.

Ken

[SharpenADullWitt]

Unfortunately, I see more salemen that think it is about convincing your pockets to be empty, then learning an showing if/how the product can fit the need.
Good to know that they still demo it.  It hasn't been at my woodworking show in a while.  And my local Woodcraft, advertise a class demoing it, and didn't (turned into a general sharpening class, focusing on waterstones).  I wasn't happy (went there just for it).
But your initial thing sounds like a question asking for opinions, rather then just a statement that you wish to expand on.   If it were the later, you might wish to phrase it different in the future, if the former, I expect there are always going to be differences of opinions, in part, based on our experiences (bias).  In that case, I hope others chime in.

[Ken S]

Yes, SADW, I hope others will chime in with suggestions of videos they have found useful. I realize the videos I have recommended are Tormekcentric, however, I am certainly open to good suggestions of other beneficial options. I would prefer not to see negative posts about mediocre videos, just recommendations for good ones.

Ken