Wheel grit recommendation

[newbiestander]

Hello, I am thinking about buying a Tormek t8 or t4 and don't really know how much i need. I thought of using the stock wheel and going straight to the sj 4000 japanese wheel ( I don't care it will take a long time to polish ) and want to know if going straight to it will impact my sharpness? also after that i want to use the strop but with 0.25u diamond spray. Or do I need to buy something like a 1000grit diamond wheel and skip the stock wheel maybe? Any thoughts?

[RickKrung]

Short answer is you don't "need" anything but the stock Tormek. 

There is much to learn and practice with the stock wheel and stock honing wheel with stock honing paste, before venturing into these questions.  The stock Tormek (T8 or T4) will produce beautifully sharp edges but even this takes time and a good bit of practice. 

In other words, study and master the basics before jumping into the more complex/advanced processes.  Attempting to use the latter before truly understanding the reasons why and how of the former is likely to only lead to frustration, disappointment and protracted learning.

It was close to a year with the T8 before I got more than the SG and SB stones and it was another two years before I really learned how to consistently produce really good results.  Having the diamond wheels and the SJ didn't help speed any of that up, actually may have retarded it because I was relying on them rather than real comprehension and mastery of techniques and skill.

But, that may have been just me...

Rick

[Ken S]

Welcome to the forum, newbiestander.

Well stated, Rick. I agree with your thoughts. Be sure to watch Tormek's new series on online learning classes on their youtube channel. They have made learning much easier.

Keep us posted.

Ken

[newbiestander]

Short answer is you don't "need" anything but the stock Tormek

Rick

Good points I will start with the basic set, but I also don't know if I should get the t4 or t8 I am looking at turning it into a business in the future. I have already made some money sharpening friends knives (I have experience with waterstones and cheap sharpening diamond systems) best I could get right know is whittling head hair in some places on the blade) And so far I never liked doing anything as much as sharpening. I think the next step is the Tormek its probably the most precise thing there is (I hate it when the edges look uneven or just not perfect, it hurts my head) 
Also what i meant by going straight to a 4000grit stone from the stock stone, would it impact sharpness? In theory it would just take longer to polish out right? I don't have the money to buy like 6stones and multiple stones and really want the mirror finishes. Thanks a lot for the replies I hope I don't get too annoying.

(English not first language sorry for the grammar)

[Ken S]

I'm probably the most outspoken advocate of the T4. However, in your case, since you are planning to use your Tormek in a sharpening business, you won't go wrong with a T8.
I would suggest getting the T8 Original and learning to master the SG-250 and leather honing wheel with Tormek PA-70 compound. After mastering these, you will be getting very sharp, polished edges. At that point, you will know if you want to proceed with the SJ-250 and/or diamond honing compound.

Ken

[John_B]

You need nothing more than the standard stone and leather wheel with Tormek paste to achieve exceptional sharpness. For 99.9% of your customers they will be amazed with the sharpness of their knives. It is possible to easily deliver a product that is orders of magnitude sharper than new knives. What you need is practice and most importantly knowledge. Watch the recent Tormek training videos and practice on inexpensive knives (Victorinox etc.). Most knives you get will be abused and extremely dull. To be honest that 1/1000 customer that demands an even sharper knife probably does their own sharpening. I have a low volume business and I have invested in 2 extras. First is the US-430 support for cleavers and long knives, and a Front Vertical Base which allows me to set the honing angle precisely. The stock support bar stays on the honing wheel side.