Hello tormek community

[MR. HD]

Hi new guy a little intro i have been into pocket knives 30+ years. So  i bought a kme  it works good if you have a lot of time to sharpen . So fast forward i have  i t4 coming in on Monday got a good deal i think lol. It came with 3 knife jigs, axe , scissor, truing tool, stone grader, looking forward to learn alot on this forum. Thanks MR. HD

[Ken S]

Welcome to the forum, MR. HD.

You will find your T4 the perfect machine for your pocket knives. While the T4 does not quite fit in your pocket, it is half the weight and notably less bulky than its larger brothers, something I appreciate more and more as I approach seventy. 

Once you become familiar with your T4, look into the small platform jig pioneered on this forum. We call it "Herman's Homemade Small Platform". It is a narrow (the width of your grinding wheel) platform built on the platform of the scissors jig. The narrow width allows you to grind the full length of both sides of very small knives without needing to reposition the jig. It works very well; I consider it essential for knife sharpeners. (Herman has also used it to sharpen a machete!) It is easily homemade, as Tormek does not include it in the product line. There has been much discussion about it on the forum, including a you tube by Herman.

Enjoy your T4!

Ken

[MR. HD]

Hi KenS thank for the welcome so how does on buy this platform jig ? Once again thank you  MR. HD

[Ken S]

It is not for sale. The platform with the scissors jig needs to be drilled for two machine screws and a small platform attached. You may be able to do this yourself or, it is easily done by a metal or machinist shop. The narrow platform can be removed and the scissors jig used as before.

Ken

[Ken S]

Here is a link to Herman's you tube:

https://youtu.be/AcWAkQmoU8c

Ken

[MR. HD]

That look real good might have to give it try . thanks

[John_B]

Welcome to the forum. I think you will find the members here will make every effort to answer any questions you might have.

I also recommend browsing the knife sharpening topics once you are comfortable with the machine. There are a number of great threads that will elevate your sharpening abilities and you will be turning out razor sharp edges in no time.

[RickKrung]

I would recommend that he read the knife sharpening topics while he waits for the T4 to arrive.  Should be of great interest, informative and very useful when he actually starts trying it out.  It is of course best to start using the standard Tormek procedures and then branch out. 

Rick

[RichColvin]

MR HD,

My first recommendation is that you master one method before trying another.  For example, learn to sharpen with the SVM-45/140 jigs before trying the platform method.  Both work, but they are different and each has its own advantages.

My second recommendation is to not rush anything.  Take it slowly, especially at first.  There is a real advantage to to building muscle memory for the correct method.

Good luck, & have fun!

Kind regards,
Rich

[John_B]

Welcome Mr HD to the Tormek community. When I first started with my Tormek I practiced on several old kitchen knives that I had for camping. I would recommend watching the Tormek videos or this one before starting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYURcwkKGPs&t=466s

Once you get started feel free to post any questions you might have.