December thoughts

[Ken S]

For many years, I have enjoyed some quiet time around the end of December reflecting on the passing years and planning for the next. 2023 will be the fiftieth anniversary of the Tormek, an exciting year for our Tormek community. Recent years have produced numerous exciting Tormek innovations, both from Sweden and from the forum.

Recent years have seen several new grinding wheels and a new honing wheel from Tormek. The two 200 mm diamond wheels, originally designed for the T2, are now a full set of three grits, all fully capable of wet grinding and flat grinding with the outside face. This also makes the MB-100 fully functional with the T4.

The new CW-220 composite honing wheel increases the versatility of the "dry side" of the Tormek. Presently this is available only for 250 mm models, although I would not be surprised to eventually see it also available for the T4.

Jigwise, I believe the two new KJ knife jigs will prove a major change for Tormek. One project for 2023 should be becoming very familiar with the new jigs. Tormek knife sharpening has also seen the introduction of two new machines, the T2 and T1, in recent years.

What will 2023 bring? I have no inside knowledge or crystal ball. I will be very surprised if Tormek does not introduce some new fiftieth anniversary products. I anticipate more informative Tormek online classes.

Sadly, we have lost some very innovative members. Fortunately, we also have some innovative newer members filling in the ranks. I am encouraged and looking forward to this next year.

Ken

[tcsharpen]

Having received a US-430, SVD110, and the new updated HTK-806 with centering jigs for Christmas, I look forward to learning more, and the ability to sharpen more things, in the coming year.

I've enjoyed reading through the forum and gaining insights from those many more experienced persons who came to Tormek before me. I've enjoyed the online classes from Tormek and other videos on YouTube.  Thanks to everyone!

So far I've been able to revive some old knives to sharper than I've ever seen them.  My kitchen knives and some for my friends are nice to work with again.  I'm working on 3 old hatchets now, which is a new challenge to figure out the axe jig and how to set new bevels on something which appears not to have an existing one to match.

Thanks,
TC

[Ken S]

TC,
I will be curious to learn your thoughts on axe sharpening. After twelve years, I finally broke down and purchased the Axe jig. As I don't own an axe, I have not used it yet.
Ken

[RichColvin]

Ken,

I've used mine for both hatchets and an axe.   It works awesomely, but I did find it to be easier to use on the hatchet than the axe.  

[Ken S]

I will be curious to follow TC's journey with his new tools, especially the
US-430. I had a small role in the development of the US-430. A bit of history:
The predecessor, the US-400, was originally part of the T4000, Tormek's first specialty machine for knives. Both the machine and the US-400 were long discontinued when Wootz found a US-400 for sale in Italy. He posted his thoughts on the forum. A small group of us, which included several bessex members, were interested in purchasing US-400s. Steve Bottorff, a member of this group, was also a Tormek dealer. At Steve's request, Tormek produced a small production run of fifty. There was demand beyond the initial fifty.

I don't know if I was the only one to email Tormek CEO, Håkan Persson. I suggested that the US-400 would be more useful if the two vertical legs were longer to accommodate cleavers. Håkan sent me one of the first run as a gift.
It has proved useful with longer knives and, of course, with my vegetable cleaver. (It also makes it possible to sharpen my ten inch chef knife with my T4.)

One of my projects this year will be a revised PDF updating the kenjig for the new KJ-45 knife jig. (I will ask Rich Colvin to post it with his Sharpening Handbook.) The KJ-45 has limited adjustability, which is not the same thing as no adjustability. Once I work out a system, I will submit it to the same two questions I use with any idea: Is it possible? And, Is it practical? It must pass the practicality test to be useful.

I have some other ideas in mind, and I look forward to reading ideas submitted by fellow forum members.

It should be an interesting fiftieth anniversary year!

Ken

[tcsharpen]

Well so far the hatchet journey is interesting.  I'll start another thread on that.