Messages

Ilikefood,

I am pleased that your knives are now sharper than ever before. Support agreed with my suggestion that there is room for an advanced honing class. They also stressed the importance of correct angle when honing.

I believe we are evolving to higher standards of sharpness in our hardware, steels, and techniques. I am curious to see what the coming years will produce.

Ken

Rich, I still have my older jigs. The difference is that they are now in a box on a nearby shelf instead of in a drawer in my work station. This is as much to declutter my mind as to declutter my work area.

This is a continuing growth process.

Ken

The logical, easy way to center bevel grinding is with the self centering KJ jigs. However, for someone who only sharpens one or two very thick hunting knives and who has only non auto centering SVM jigs, Wolfgang suggests another method.
He mentions it in the KJ knife jigs online class linked here, starting at just after 6:00:

https://www.youtube.com/live/JFHqQg5wZEg?si=P0SphynZhYKs7LEJ

Wolfgang also mentions another reference to this in earlier lectures, although I have not been able to locate these references. (If anyone can find them, please post a link.)

The correction is just to take extra grinding strokes on the fixed jaw side of the knife bevel until both sides match.

Ken

John has presented a commendable post, doing many things right. All of "the usual suspects" have good alibis. Considering that the honing wheel for the T1 is also used the same way with the T2, and can also be used with the T4, I do not believe we have seen enough problem posts to conclude that there is something wrong with the honing wheel itself. However, we have seen enough problem posts to make me think that there may be some room for improvement in the way this honing wheel is presented in the training. Hopefully more emphasis might be given in a future online class. I will email Tormek about this.

Ken

I suggest you use your black marker on your bevels after sharpening and before honing. This should tell you if you are honing at the correct angle. If you are honing at too low of an angle, the honing wheel will not contact the apex, the very tip of your knife..if your honing angle is too high, you will lift the wheelst the apex and round the edge.

Do not become discouraged. Once you solve the puzzle you will have very sharp knives.

Ken

Welcome to the forum, John.

There is a step you do not mention. It is part of both online classes with the T2. I am not sure if it is mentioned in the T1 online class. In my opinion, it should be part of all of the classes. After the burr is created with the diamond grinding wheel, Johan, the T2 presenter, takes one VERY light pass on each side to remove most of the burr. This extra step lightens the load of the composite honing wheel.

I believe this may be your problem. Please keep us posted, whether this helps or not.

Ken

TGBTO,

I like your chosen work station. As with so many areas of sharpening, there are many good solutions.

Like you, I am more used to the SVM jigs than the new KJ jigs. That's one reason why I chose the KJ jigs, to broaden my skill areas.

Which Tormek sits atop my work station? In the long run,(not that distant), I will probably have only smaller and lighter Tormeks. I don't know if my Tormek Work Station will be in my future. For the present, T7, T8, or T8 Black? Frankly, any of the three will do. The round bottom of the T8 works with a smaller volume of ACC with diamond wheels. My T7 is a later one, so it has the EZYlock and the Advanced Water Trough. Both are nice to have, but not deal breakers.

Ken

My knife sharpening needs have simplified over the years. Developing my kenjig and the method of using it, I have accumulated around a dozen knife jigs. These were primarily for setting up high volume sharpening. The highvolume sharpening aspect was strictly for the kenjig development; my personal sharpening has always been just for my own tools and knives.

With my changing needs and Tormek developments, I am reorganizing my Tormek storage. I happen to have a Tormek Work Station, although this organization should work with almost any work station.

In general, I tend to follow Tormek technique. As such, I am dedicating the third drawer (the first deeper drawer) to knife kit. This drawer will hold my KS-123; KJ-45; KJ-140; SVM-00; as well as a few Sharpies, and a small square. I am considering keeping my extended support bar and MB-102 in this drawer.

I do not plan to use my various SVM jigs. They are presently in a box on a nearby shelf. I will keep them nearby, but not in the work station. All of my knives, kitchen, pocket, and Moras work with my KS-123 and KJ-45.

This set up is for my present and projected needs. I post this only as a possible solution for those with similar needs to mine. I am fully aware that others will probably have different needs, and I welcome comments.

Ken

We might be able to give better answers if you gave us more information. Are you sharpening junky knives as a business or for yourself? How many junky knives are involved?

If you are charging for your sharpening and are worried about the cost of a SG-200, you are not charging enough. Whether you are sharpening for others or for yourself, youwould do everyone a favor to switch to fewer reasonably priced knives of better quality. Victorinox fibrox knives are quite reasonably priced and are of good quality. A chef knife and a smaller knife should cover the needs of a typical home kitchen.

The useful life of any grinding wheel can be extended by frequent honing on the leather wheel. A friend who was a longtime Tormek demonstrator told me that grinding wheels last longer after the learning curve of the first wheel. He also told me that he hones more often than he sharpens.

Ken

Drilon,

Clever idea! Another example of having a forum.

Ken

One of the things I find fascinating about the online classes is the way a useful tip in one area can benefit other areas. While demonstrating checking knife sharpness using his thumb nail, Wolfgang casually mentioned also using"an old credit card, which he did not have". As my thumb nails have ridges, the idea intrigued me. In this T2 online class, Johan demonstrates using the lid of the black marker to check knife deburring. I tried it, and am very pleased with the result. Here is a link, starting around 7:00.

https://youtu.be/JFSg_eUYc10?si=zeopFvbvvoiBESZu

While you are watching, Johan shows another good tip at around 5:00. After he has ground both bevels to a burr, he finishes with one very light pass on each bevel to remove most of the bevel.

Ken

One of the high points of my visit to Tormek in August of 2023 was being included in a meeting of the Design Committee. The standing committee included Håkan, Mats, and Tim, plus two guests. The other guest was Per Ericson ("Perra"). The main topic was the KS123 knife setting tool, then in development. We examined two prototypes, one designed by Tormek and one designed by Per. The group was very congenial. We were all working together to develop the best tool. There was no competition in the group.

I felt honored to be included in this group. It was like discussing religion with the Holy Trinity.

Per is a retired Swedish Industrial Engineer. His design work and machining is impeccable. Recently we have seen new developments in knife jigs and setting tools. I believe honing will be one of the next areas to see further innovation. With people like Per and the Design Committee working on it, I have great faith.

Ken

Aus Sn,

From the Tormek website: "cowhide from Tärnsjö Garveri tannery". One of the exhibits in the Tormek Museum describes this impressive leather. I can not imagine better quality than the leather Tormek uses.

However, I realize that some of our members have aspirations which go beyond the standard equipment. Therefore, with a little imagination, MDF can be made into very usable leather honing wheels.

https://youtu.be/BAhgVmQoeiA?si=Qxxi4fslkde80rbC

This link shows a second grinding wheel being mounted on the "dry side" of the Tormek. The shaft from the optional shaped leather wheels is shown, although extension shafts of different lengths are available from third party suppliers.
The MDF wheel can be easily be removed and replaced. The wheel can also be mounted in place of the grinding wheel. Spacers such as fender washers can be used to fit the EZYlock shaft.

No doubt others will chime in.

Ken

EDIT: Here is a relater link:

https://youtu.be/c6iIC3wBmNY?si=v0Y-FmLw7fozF5xb

Many years ago, one of our longtime members posted the suggestion of using a turkey baster to empty the Tormek water troughs. I purchased one at my local grocery store and have happily been using it ever since. Mine is certainly a low cost version. The one in the link strikes me as a good, longterm investment.

https://www.leevalley.com/en-us/shop/kitchen/kitchen-tools/meat-and-poultry/74738-dripless-baster

Ken

Welcome to the forum, Larbo.

Your story is a "frequent flyer" on the forum. Do you notice the spillage when sharpening narrow tools like chisels? Or, does this occur mostly with longer knives which protrude beyond the water trough? If this is the case, are you using the detachable ramp? Some of us are often negligent in using the ramp; I confess to being part of this group at times.

The other thing I usually suspect is overfilling the trough. I recommend using a kitchen type graduate to fill the trough. Diamond wheels are non absorban, meaning that once enough water (solution) was in the trough, no more would be needed due to absorbance. Once the amounts of water and ACC are determined for the first wheel, future wheels should require the same amounts.

I fill a kitchen graduate with more than enough water and set the height of the trough. Then I gradually pour water into the trough until the water first begins to flow over the top of the wheel. The remaining water is subtracted from the original amount. The difference is the amountof water needed. Add to that number 1/25 of that amount to determine the amount of ACC needed. (Example 100ml water and 4ml ACC).

When I am through sharpening, I lower the trough and siphon out the solution with a turkey baster. I put this solution into a plastic jar and wipe out the trough with a paper towel.

Spillage should be nominal. Mark the jar with a a hash mark before using the solution. After sharpening, add enough water and ACC to the original line.

Please keep us posted.

Ken

When I am through sharpening, I lower the trough