Cannot get a PIN for Knife Grinders FVB software

[iamadobman]

Hello,

I purchased from Knife Grinders of Australia their FVB.  When I received it I down loaded their FVB angle setter software. The software requires a PIN. I have been trying  since March 19th 2021 to contact by email and texting to Knife Grinders to get a PIN to release the software. I have not gotten a reply back from them.  I even emailed a copy of my PayPal transaction to him for the purchase of his FVB. Has anyone on this forum gotten his FVB and the PIN for his software? Is he still alive? How should I proceed?

Regards,
Very frustated
Pete

[micha]

must be the wrong mail address - You have PM -

[Drilon]

Did you use the email address   KG@knifegrinders.com.au  ?

Regards,
Drilon

[iamadobman]

yes

[Ken S]

I have known Vadim of Knife Grinders ever since he joined our forum several years ago. In that time, I have come to trust and respect him. He has advanced knife sharpening more than anyone else I have known. He has maintained very high standards of quality control in spite of many supply problems. He has always dealt fairly and honestly with me.

To this I would add that Knife Grinders is a very small company. I don't believe it is quite a one man shop, although I do believe he has very few employees. He also runs a full time sharpening service and spends a lot of research time. He has written all of the reply emails I have received. I do not think he has a clerical staff. I accept that email replies and product delivery will usually not be rapid.

While you are waiting, you can use your black marker with your FVB to get a very close approximation. If you have no working software, set a Projection of 140mm and a Distance (from the top of the USB to the edge of the grinding wheel) of 80mm for a 15° bevel angle. It will get you up and running, and, when yout PIN arrives, you will have a deeper understanding of the process.

[JJP]

Hi,I read your post. Strange... I have bought the fvb from them as well and have gotten a response always within 1 day.. Vladim the owner is very reliable. When you send an email you always get an automated response straight away that they have received it. I use the email kg@knifegrinders.com.au

Maybe the emails are coming into your spam folder??

When you buy the fvb with PayPal you also straight away get an email with the pin number in it. Do you maybe have a different email addres in PayPal?
Good luck!

Jon

[tgbto]

Same here, I had my PIN delivered before the FVB arrived.

[iamadobman]

Hello All,

Vadim from KnifeGrinders has contacted me and this PIN issue for the FVB app has all been cleared up.  I thank you all for your support and work around suggestions.  This is a fantastic community.  I got to use the FVB with my T8 and the FVB app tonight and it's a amazing combination in getting a very sharp edge on a knife.

Regards,
Pete

[photog200]

I too have not been able to get the PIN number after downloading the app.  I have not received an email to date either.  I also ordered the FVB from them, the website said it was in stock unlike most other merchandise.  I paid with PayPal, a few days later I received a email from PayPal that I got a refund from Knife Grinders for that purchase price.   I can only go under the assumption that their website had not been updated and the item was out of stock because I have not received reason as of yet.

[cbwx34]

I too have not been able to get the PIN number after downloading the app.  I have not received an email to date either.  I also ordered the FVB from them, the website said it was in stock unlike most other merchandise.  I paid with PayPal, a few days later I received a email from PayPal that I got a refund from Knife Grinders for that purchase price.   I can only go under the assumption that their website had not been updated and the item was out of stock because I have not received reason as of yet.

Knifegrinders FVB app is specifically written for his FVB, so if you didn't get it, obtaining the PIN is meaningless. 

(There are apps in my signature that will work, should you get/make another FVB).

[Ken S]

Randy,

CB's advice is spot on. Unfortunately, we must all deal with the reality that with the death of our friend, Vadim, the Knife Grinders business in now in the past. Vadim's family seems to be refunding payments.
There is no magic with an FVB, just trig. CBXW34 and JVH areboth forum members. Contact them.

Ken

[rotax]

Hello everyone.
I purchased the FVB app first. And then bought the FVB from Knife Grinders..... I didn't know that during this whole purchase that Vadim had died... knife grinders reimbursed me for the metal FVB ...... but my FVB app doesn't calculate since I did not receive the metal FVB so I have no PIN to enter in the app.... I the. Purchased the Schleifjunkies Metal FVB..... wishing I could use it with my FVB from Knife Grinders app........ CAN ANYONE HELP . I SIMPLY NEED A PIN NUMBER TO BE ABLE TO USE THE FVB APP FROM KNIFE GRINDERS......... Since Vadim's death ( condolences to the family, Vadim was amazing...) I've gotten no help whatsoever..... Please can anyone of you guys out there simply share your. FVB PIN number so that I can use their app which I bought.
Thank-you all.
A newbie here with a TORMEK-8

[cbwx34]

Hello everyone.
I purchased the FVB app first. And then bought the FVB from Knife Grinders..... I didn't know that during this whole purchase that Vadim had died... knife grinders reimbursed me for the metal FVB ...... but my FVB app doesn't calculate since I did not receive the metal FVB so I have no PIN to enter in the app.... I the. Purchased the Schleifjunkies Metal FVB..... wishing I could use it with my FVB from Knife Grinders app........ CAN ANYONE HELP . I SIMPLY NEED A PIN NUMBER TO BE ABLE TO USE THE FVB APP FROM KNIFE GRINDERS......... Since Vadim's death ( condolences to the family, Vadim was amazing...) I've gotten no help whatsoever..... Please can anyone of you guys out there simply share your. FVB PIN number so that I can use their app which I bought.
Thank-you all.
A newbie here with a TORMEK-8

The FVB app from Knifegrinders was free...  (at least the ones in both the Apple and Google stores), is there a paid one out there somewhere? The reason for the PIN was so that people wouldn't download it and use it with other FVBs.



Again... you can't use FVB App from Knifegrinders with the Schleifjunkies FVB (unless they're made to the same dimensions).

[RickKrung]

"They" say there is no zealot like a convert. 

Why do people fuss so much about getting that software app from Knife Grinders?  The reason KG's app is "not usable" for non KG FVB's is there are errors introduced if your FVB is not constructed to the same dimensions as KG's and/or certain distances on your machine/FVB differ from those based on KG's FVB.  (I went through this with Vadim when his app first came out and I had built my own FVB.  Vadim customized his app for my FVB/machine but he ceased doing that as more got out there.  I think he attempted to address this issue with addition of the "Ad hoc" features but I never could tell if that worked.) 

There are excellent alternative, at least one can cost, others are free.  And the most if not all are editable for the specific dimensions of the FVB in use. 

BUT, more to the point, use of the distance from the USB directly to the surface of the grinding wheel is faster, easier and probably more accurate and is totally free of errors associated with difference in machine dimensions.  It too me two or three years to figure this out and like a recovering addict, I could not be happier. 

Rubber bands stretched between the USB and machine axle as a reference for aligning measuring device (photo credit: BobD):


Measuring distance with calipers, but other devices work well, such as an adjustable square or a woodworker's marking gauge, the latter being what I use.  (photo looks like the caliper is not lined up with the rubber band, but it is, the image suffers from parallax)


Rick

[cbwx34]

...
Why do people fuss so much about getting that software app from Knife Grinders?  The reason KG's app is "not usable" for non KG FVB's is there are errors introduced if your FVB is not constructed to the same dimensions as KG's and/or certain distances on your machine/FVB differ from those based on KG's FVB.  (I went through this with Vadim when his app first came out and I had built my own FVB.  Vadim customized his app for my FVB/machine but he ceased doing that as more got out there.  I think he attempted to address this issue with addition of the "Ad hoc" features but I never could tell if that worked.) 
...

This is the reason I don't recommend just "sharing" the PIN... it's meaningless without the KG FVB.   

(It's also worth mentioning that mixing apps from different places probably isn't a good idea either...)