Messages

Nevermind. I got my answer here: https://tormek.com/en/products/grinding-jigs/se-77-square-edge-jig

There are four knobs on the top. Are the two small knobs for camber only or are the used in squaring the chisel on the jig? If I place my chisel into the jig hard against the right edge which is the reference edge, opposite the two small knobs; my chisel is not 90 degrees ie square to the grinding wheel. I have used the two small knobs to square my chisel. If it is not square then applying "camber" to it will also square it. Of course there is no camber but I want a square chisel. Overextending the camber adjustment will make a camber and too much will make it so that you cannot slide the jig on the support bar.

I have never tried this but I wonder. Regarding the off center sharpening of the older Tormek knife jigs. As some of you know, some Japanese knives are sharpened on one side only. Would that make the older jigs useful since they "prefer" one side over the other?

I wondered about that. Thanx

So I have not made up my mind. I don't sharpen anything except chisels on my Tormek. The water mess caused me to find another solution for knives. Chisels being so much shorter rarely or never in my case extend beyond the edge of the wheel anyway. I do have the very occasional need to follow a curved edge on a knife. Boning knife or kukri for example. These are concave curves and cannot be followed (by me anyway) on a square edge stone. The edge just ruins the curve. The Tormek stones are sharp edged and would just grind up these curves. If I decide to go with a super abrasive stone, it will not be a Tormek diamond stone at this time and I will just stick to the SG 250 till I have had enough. Thanks all.

I am just tired of the water mess. I am contemplating a CBN wheel as Tormek advises the use of water even with the diamond wheel. I would like to patronize Tormek but do not want water.

The only complaint I have ever had with a Tormek was the asymmetrical grind on a knife blade. It was just plain ugly to me. No, I am not a perfectionist but the thought of someone seeing that I had ground a blade unevenly would have mortified me.

I just got mine and sharpened two pocket knives with blades up to 4 inches long and maybe an inch and a quarter from edge to back. I used the two smaller stops thinking that was what you used. Of course I failed to read the directions.

Well I used the new jig twice on knives that were not dull but nowhere near sharp. They were however, able to be sharpened with a 4000 grit stone and that alone so they weren't blunt either. The new jigs work just like the old jig as far as holding a knife. You first place the blade into the jig and tighten that small metal knob. Then you tighten the larger plastic knob. The old jig had that little "step" in the jig that I always thought was for placing the blade. We all know that "step" was not centered between the two halves of the jig. The new jig has no "step". On the two knives I sharpened, the bevel appeared to be centered. I say appeared because I did not use a sharpie on the edge to mark it for a later check on evenness. I only sharpened the cutting edge essentially only adding a secondary bevel but it did work for that. Oops, I just looked at a picture of the KJ-45 https://www.tormek.com/international/en/grinding-jigs/kj-45-centering-knife-jig/ and I was not using the jig handle to rest on the universal support bar! I used those two projections that you see. It doesn't matter on the 3 1/2 inch blades I sharpened though as they both got sharp. I recommend the KJ-45 for those that appreciate symmetry when they sharpen.

I always feel better when I pay too much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I placed the order some time ago as I got excited when I saw it coming available. Funny, wasn't Advanced Machinery the importer before Tormek started doing it themselves? So now, and almost certainly then; they would be the most expensive place to buy from. As the importer they would have been a reseller to the other places mentioned and then they would be as expensive.
LOL

TORMEK NEW Self-centering Knife Jig KJ-45
1   $54.00Scroll for more items
Cost summary
Description   Price
Subtotal   $54.00
Shipping   $9.95
Total   USD $63.95
They are shipping from Advanced Machinery.

If self centering means that you will be able to grind an equal bevel on both sides of a blade, wow! That is my only complaint against the Tormek was the uneven grind. All I use one for is knives and then I pretty much stopped that and chisels.

I wonder what the advantage of a rock hard felt wheel has over the standard leather wheel when installed on a Tormek.

The motor is causing something to resonate. Check that everything on the machine is tight. Put your hand on the motor while it runs and/ or see if it is contacting the frame.

I find it somewhat amusing about a "Bess" sharpness test. How many professional knife users require or have even heard of a Bess scale? If it makes you happy then I am all for it. I do things that only I understand but splitting hair sharp is for bragging rights among a few like minded individuals. Do you people use the knife you have sharpened to the highest level of Bess? What does one use of cutting a piece of rope or a cardboard box do to the sharpness? By the way, I would never use a knife to cut cardboard unless it was all I had. If it was all I had, then I wouldn't cut it! They make replaceable blade utility knives for that.