Messages

Pricing varies from marketplace to marketplace.
I did a lot of researching sharpening services on the internet and found that I would love to charge prices that are competitive in San Francisco, but can't in the Pacific NW.
And I would go broke charging rural Midwestern prices.
Up here prices start at free at the local supermarket (yikes!)
You get what you pay for.
I charge $5 for a standard 8" - 10" chef's knife and haven't gotten many complaints.  I'm high compared to local knife shops, but I come to their place of business or home so the cost difference is justified.
Plus I specialize in professional chefs who appreciate a sharp blade and usually don't have time to spend matching the quality of the work I do.

You need to find out what your local competition charges.

Hope this helps.


Rick
NotsoDull! Mobile Sharpening Service
"Life shouldn't be dull."

I can't get an edge on my irons either.
But I think a couple of lessons and some time on the driving range will help!

I now have an inverter that seems to be up to the challenge.
I got a Vector 2000/4000 from donrowe.com for $209.00 plus $6.00 shipping.
So far so good.
It has a soft peak feature that kind of spreads out the start up demand.
(As you can tell, I am no electrician)
It will also shut itself off if things get too "hot."

Don Rowe was very helpful and informative.
I would recommend them to anyone.

If you ever do find out how much the Tormek pulls on startup, I would like to know.


"Life shouldn't be dull."

Rick

I guess I am all wet.

Thanks for nothing Jeff.

I just checked with Sharptools tech support.
They don't know and evidently don't care to know.

Am I all wet, or is this a pretty basic question that should be addressed?

Have any of you tried to take your Tormek on the road?
I have blown through 3 power inverters in the last 60 days.

I started with an 800 watt inverter (peak 1200 watts).
It wouldn't even start up the Tormek which is rated at 200 watts.
Then I switched to a 1200 watt (peak 2400).
One lasted 6 weeks, this last one lasted 2.

My understanding is that it's the peak startup demand that is killing my inverters.
Does anyone know how much the Tormek draws at startup?

The guy at inverters r us says that is the key to selecting the right inverter.

Anyone???

I posted this at the yahoo tormek users site too.

Thanks in advance,


Rick D.

"Life shouldn't be dull."

Huh?

You lost this semi-beginner.

Try your local Woodcraft store(?).

While sharpening knives in a restaurant parking lot, I had three different people come over and check out what I was doing.
I ended up sharpening each of their pocket knives and one guy wants me to come over to his place next week and sharpen some assorted tools he has.
Cool.
The catch is, I haven't had the time to work with all the assorted jigs I got in the complete Tormek package from SharpTools.
So yesterday I would run upstairs to watch the Tormek instructional video then run back down to the shop to use the assorted jigs on my new turning tools.
I had originally just honed the 6 piece turning set and used them to turn some assorted scrap cedar (I am a lathe newbie).
HOLY COW!!!!!
These newly sharpened tools are like night and day!
I thought my tools were sharp, but now that I "Tormecked" them they slice through cedar like it was butter.

It did take some time to figure out how to use the jig for my spindle gouge, but that will get faster with practice.

As far as taking time to actually sharpen the tool - about 3 minutes.
Who could complain about taking 3 minutes to get such fantastic results?

To paraphrase an old saying.
"There are two kinds of people in this world.  Those who own Tormeks and those who should."

I can't answer question #1 since I can't see your honing wheel.
But as far as chef's knives - you just have to adjust the angle of the knife to avoid hitting the grinding wheel - it doesn't have to be perpendicular to the wheel to get a good hone.

I am starting to build a following sharpening knives for professional chefs.
I get $5 a blade for 8 or 10 inch chef's knives and once I prove how good a job I do, they are happy to pay.
My main competition is a national knife rental business that supplies really crappy blades and provides rather indifferent service.

On Wednesday, I get delivery of 144 commercial kitchen knives so I can go into the rental business.
I financed the purchase by selling 90 blades to one customer!

So far so good.

"life shouldn't be dull."

Rick
from NotsoDull! Mobile Sharpening Service

Same question on the Tormek Yahoo Group.

Too long compared to what?
I am very happy with the sharpening speed.

Now if I want to re-shape a tool, why would I use the
Tormek SHARPENING system?

It's very simple.
If you want a precision sharpened edge use the Tormek.
If you want to wreak havoc on metal, use a grinder and let the sparks fly.

I'm still a rookie, but I would think it would be much easier to align the stone to the rest and not the other way around.

There seems to be much discussion about this subject here.

I have mostly and very successfully sharpened all types of knives and have experienced no round, flat or square issues.

The Sharptools video helped me a ton.
You can watch it on line.

Sounds like a good idea.
Let us know if it works.

I learned the hard way.
Fortunately, the store I bought from took the first one back.
It was rated at 800 watts continuous power with startup peak of 1600 watts.
It certainly appears to be enought to start up the Tormek which draws 200 watts continuous.
On the second time around I had a clerk who actually knew what he was talking about.
It seems that what they can claim and what they can do are not always a match.
In this case, the first unit could barely power a 100 watt light bulb.
I ended up spending lots more and got a 1200/2400 watt inverter which can handle the Tormek, the 100 watt light AND a 385 watt bench grinder.  It seems the second model was actually designed to be used!
I guess Tim the Toolman was right:
"More power!!"

I just got an 800 watt power inverter, attached it to a brand new deep cycle battery and plugged my Tormek into it.
The motor on the Tormek is clunking and moving around when I turn it on.
Am I doing something wrong?

I took it back into my shop and it seems to run fine on household current.