T2 Initial Review

[Ken S]

Stig,

I think it was smart planning to test market the T2 in Sweden. After making knife sharpening equipment in Sweden for over forty years, as well as living and eating in Sweden, Tormek would have many long term relationships with people throughout the knife making and using industries. Even something as everyday and ordinary as going to lunch would provide an opportunity to chat with a restaurant owner, manager, or chef.

In our age of e-commerce and many product reviews from unknown people, it is often easy to overlook the value of very few reviews from people who really know. Your friend and our forum member, Magnus, is an example of this kind of expertise.

Based on your contact resources, do most restaurants and food establishments have a "go to" employee who does most of the in house sharpening? If so, did this person (or persons) receive instruction on using the T2 and/or sharpening, either from the dealer or a Tormek representative? In my opinion, this person would be a different user than the person who opened the shipping box and skimmed the instructions before being the (a) sharpener.

A young Swedish employee might well have the advantage of having used a Tormek in school. I recall your saying that all the schools in Sweden have Tormeks.

Over the years, my thinking about knives has changed. I still use my old traditional Henckels, with bolsters and tapered blades. Increasingly, I am using newer knives without bolsters and which are flat and thinner in construction. Twenty five years ago, I would have just thought of these knives as cheap, mass market products. Perhaps there was similar resistance years ago to plastic handles.

We are at a disadvantage in the US. Manual arts training in public schools is almost extinct. I have no idea what kind of sharpening training students are given in cooking schools. You mention the DBS-22 drill bit jig. My local dealer carries them, as they do all the Tormek jigs and accessories. However, with the exception of the store T7, all of the Tormek equipment is in boxes on shelves. Even the old store T7s are usually on shelves and not accessable for easy demonstrations. To the best of my knowledge, there are no Tormek seminars (company, importer or desler sponsored). Will the T2 be featured at woodworking or knife shows?

I have found only two or three very short T2 videos online, and they are in Swedish.There is certainly nothing wrong with the Swedish language, however, it is not the language of business in this country. I believe good salesmanship must include educating the customer to see the benefits of a product for him or his business. How does a prospective customer get this education in most countries? In my opinion, the T2 is a very useful product, however, I do not see it selling well without some solid company video support.

Ken

[cbwx34]

Stig... thanks for the reply... I will digest what you have written. 

[cbwx34]

This is a couple of "working with what I have mods"...   

First, an easy one.  When you stick a paper "sleeve" in the clamp, slit the top on either side, fold it out, and it stays in place better...





Second mod.  I removed the guide and stuck a piece of Kydex in its place...



...this works sufficiently to guide the knife, without the restrictions of the current guide.  Have to pay a bit more attention, but at the same time, I can better see and manipulate the blade.  (And the paper stays in place better, since it's only one side, and the pressure against it is lighter).

Anyway, just a couple of ideas I had, so giving them a try, and thought I'd throw 'em out there (for ideas/inspiration/critique if nothing else). 

[Ken S]

CB,

I like your suggestions for the T2. I filled in the 10, 15, and 20° lines as you suggested with a black marker. Folding the paper seems logical. Kydex is new to me; that will reqiure more thought.

If it was up to me, I would make the included knife jig fixed at 15°, the European standard. I would have other jigs, perhaps 20°, something around 10°, and the present adjustable jig available as optional extras. As the guiding philosophy of the T2 is to be easily used by reataurant staff, why complicate things with an adjustable jig?

Ken

[cbwx34]

CB,

I like your suggestions for the T2. I filled in the 10, 15, and 20° lines as you suggested with a black marker. Folding the paper seems logical. Kydex is new to me; that will reqiure more thought.

If it was up to me, I would make the included knife jig fixed at 15°, the European standard. I would have other jigs, perhaps 20°, something around 10°, and the present adjustable jig available as optional extras. As the guiding philosophy of the T2 is to be easily used by reataurant staff, why complicate things with an adjustable jig?

Ken

It doesn't have to be Kydex... just what I had here, that I thought would work.  Turns the guide into more of a "platform jig".

Good idea about making the knife jix fixed.

[Ken S]

One of the things I like about this forum is that I am continually learning. Since my last post, I have learned that I have underestimated the knife sharpening knowledge of the real target market of the T2, restaurant chefs.

The speed and simplicity of the T2 fits well in a busy restaurant, however, the chef still wants control of the bevel angles of his knives. I see the logic of simplification. Not having to think about all the variables allows to to focus on the critical elements. I used this logic in the kenjig. Tormek has worked with chefs who also prefer simplicity, but want the flexibility of easily controlling the bevel angles.

Ken

[cbwx34]

I would disagree with you a bit, but then again, what you may mean and wrote, could come across as two different things.
What defines a "professional kitchen"?
I would say the knives that CB tried, would be used in something between 75 and 80% of the commercial kitchens I am aware of.  Now the chef's in higher end kitchens, are more likely to have both higher end and costing knives, as well as being less likely to let someone else use or sharpen them.  I do agree that they are less likely to worry about scratches, if THEY are doing the sharpening, and also in a hurry.  If they have someone else doing the sharpening, I expect they would want the condition of the knife to be better then that.
I think that sharper then most knives out of the package, would be wonderful to most of the users, of these lower cost knives if they choose to go the sharpening route, verses considering them as consumable.
I would have to talk to my neighbor about his chef's experience, and find out if it was like his carpenters experience, prior to him coming over to the USA.  That involved apprenticeship where he spent a lot of time just sharpening the tools.

As for the T-2's use without the guide, I do expect it would be used freehand, by any of those establishments with larger knives or things like cleavers.  So I don't think that is out of range of this tool.
Otherwise, my view is even if it takes a bit more time, or if they don't grind all the way back to the handle (how many use a full stroke of those knives), this would certainly prolong the use of the knives, before having to send them out to have them professionally sharpened.

Thanks for chiming in (I missed this earlier).  Interesting point about how often you see these type of knives.

I agree about the scratching... can't be done by someone else doing the sharpening.

My only comment about not sharpening all the way to the handle... I'm sure you're aware that on some knives, like those for chopping or dicing, not being able to sharpen the entire blade and maintain the correct shape, can prevent the knife from performing properly.

[cbwx34]

One of the things I like about this forum is that I am continually learning. Since my last post, I have learned that I have underestimated the knife sharpening knowledge of the real target market of the T2, restaurant chefs.

The speed and simplicity of the T2 fits well in a busy restaurant, however, the chef still wants control of the bevel angles of his knives. I see the logic of simplification. Not having to think about all the variables allows to to focus on the critical elements. I used this logic in the kenjig. Tormek has worked with chefs who also prefer simplicity, but want the flexibility of easily controlling the bevel angles.

Ken

Your post makes me think that perhaps the "target audience" of the T-2 is narrower than what I considered it to be.  I was thinking "commercial kitchen" with a wide variety of knives... now I'm thinking it's more of a select group with knives in a more specific category.

[cbwx34]

Probably proof that I missed the point....


2017 "The Restaurant Show" award.... (Trade Show in Olympia London).

Congrats! 

[Stickan]

Thank you, this award made us proud 

Sincerely,
Stig

[Ken S]

Great find, CB!

Stig, Tormek is too modest. This should have been posted earlier.

Ken

[Stickan]

Ken,
CB posted this 2-3 hours after we won this award so he was pretty fast 

Best,
Stig

[Ken S]

Excellent reporting, CB. For some reason our news coverage got stuck covering the Nobel Prize for Physics and missed the big event.

Great job, Team Tormek!

Ken

[cbwx34]

It was the universe sending me a sign ...   

[grepper]

Instead of using paper to prevent scratching, why not use slick tape?  Or electrical tape.  There are a LOT of different tape products that would probably work.

Slick Strips:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035Y46GM/ref=asc_df_B0035Y46GM5080557?smid=A19VW1BL9ZXZVA&tag=shopz0d-20&ascsubtag=shopzilla_mp_1213-20;15071389820426014884310080302008005&linkCode=df0&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B0035Y46GM

Protective Film Tape:
https://www.findtape.com/Patco-5560-Polyethylene-Removable-Protective-Film-Tape/p463/

You can buy 1 – 5 mil thick plastic film in rolls from a hardware store.  You could cut enough little plastic squares from a roll to last many lifetimes and glue it on with removable adhesive.  Or possibly little squares of Tyvek:

https://www.amazon.com/DuPont-Tyvek-55gm-A4-Sheets/dp/B00DRB0XIS

https://www.amazon.com/3M-Repositionable-Clear-Adhesive-10-2-Ounce/dp/B000BKQD82