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Hi,  First post here.  Have been using the Tormek for a few months now and love it.  So much more precision and control than my old sharpening set up.  I initially bought the Tormek to use with woodworking tools--turning tools for my lathe, chisels, and plane irons.  But this thing could also be a game changer for my kitchen knives and leather crafting tools.  Most of them are pretty easy to set up with the various jigs.  But one has me stumped--my leather pattern knife: https://chartermade.com/collections/chef-knife-range/products/ebony-pattern-knife-1.  It's a variation of the leather workers half-moon or round knife.  Any ideas how I might be able to jig this thing up to sharpen on the Tormek.  I wish I was sufficiently good at sharpening by hand that I could free-hand it (on either a wheel or a flat stone), but that's not my strongest skill-set.  I'd love to be able to figure out some way to jig it up so that I can get a consistent, repeatable edge on it with the Tormek.  The knife jig doesn't look like it will hold it well, but would love to hear any suggestions people have.  Thanks in advance.

No idea if this'll work (since I've never seen one), but I think you could clamp it on the "high" side... angling it so the edge is aligned with the clamp...

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(not sure if the size relationship is right).

This could just be a bad guess.     

Hello i am new here from Belgium

I have a tormek T4 that I bought to sharpen knives and I would like to do supportive honing and would buy the MB-102 support for that. Now I'm wondering how to determine the angle on the small honing wheel which is diameter 145mm and the tormek WM-200 angle setter only goes down to diameter 150mm.
Greetings Dietger

Use a calculator.  Not only does it answer your question, but the Anglemaster doesn't account for blade taper from spine to edge... a calculator does.

Check the links in my signature!

I don't use the horizontal setup (since I use an FVB), but I input the variables from TormekCalc into Calcapp, (the "Honing" variables, and keep in mind that "horizontal" and "vertical" are reversed).

I then set the USB using the distance to the top of the sleeve ("USB to FVB"), and checked it with the "USB to Wheel" measurement, (T_usb in TormekCalc) and everything basically seemed to line up.

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Mostly just for my own curiosity.

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You sharpen with your eyes first. That's why Tomer Botner, founder of the Barcelona-based knife-making studio @FlorentineKitchenKnives, have created a handle for the Tormek T-1 in his distinctive, colorful style.
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 Just an FYI... 

...

In TormekCalc3, I believe the number I'm looking for is called "Constant HH" and the value 41 (1.614" or 1" and 39/64), suggesting that my friend isn't too far off.

If someone owning a Tormek in the T3/T4-size would be so kind as to check, I'd be very glad to hear the result.

Lars

Yes, it's the HH measurement, and the value for the T-4 there is 29mm.

Not sure what you're trying to do, but you can double check by measuring directly to the wheel (T_usb in TormekCalc) for verification of most setups.

Being within a mm is probably more than adequate.

[If you measure]

Hi Ken.
Thank you for the friendly welcome.
Obviously, my English skills are limited, so I'll rephrase my question:

A) If you measure the height from the table to the center of the USB (in the horisontal position)

B) and measure the hight from the table to the centre of the shaft

What is A minus B?

and

Is that number the same on all Tormeks?

Your's,
Lars

Not the same between a T-4 based model and a T-8, but based partly on some indirect evidence, I believe the measurement between a T-8, T-7 and Supergrind 2000 is pretty close... only around a mm or so difference in examples I've seen.  (I don't have actual numbers available.)

I have a quick question on using TomekCalc. I would like to modify my honing process and increase the angle slightly. I would like to do this while using the BatchCalc sheet.

Is this possible?

Martin

I found the solution, apparently the column was hidden.

I thought it was Column "S" "Angle Shift" (which isn't hidden).  It says in the column notes that one reason for it is "Honing where a higher angle is required for the final burr removal."

I think you can also enter it on the "TormekCalc" page which will carry over onto the BatchCalc page (based on the "Wheel selection")... if you don't put anything in the Column "S".

Good day, I have Grinding_Angle_Setter on my windows 10 laptop somewhere. Does anyone know where it resides please? Thanks.

No, but there are alternatives, if you can't find it.

That makes some sense even though I would have thought the finely honed etremely sharp edge would cut better.
I guess I have to figure out a way to make an edge with more "teeth" thats still lasting and durable.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

I debur/touchup my kitchen knives with a fine ceramic.

I am a fairly new Tormek T8 user with a T8 standard wheel.
I sharpen at 15 dps on the original stone graded to about medium to fine grit till I feel the burr.My bess scores are around 120 honing on the leather wheel at exact angle 15 degrees 4 times per side, then 2 degrees higher 3 times per side lightly, then finishing with one pass at exact angle.
When I use them for meat cutting poultry or red meat they dont seem to cut as well as my belt sharpened knives used to.I'm confused as to why that is since the knives feel a lot sharper than the belt sharpened ones used to Does anyone have thoughts on that?

What is your belt sharpening procedure?  And how does it compare to the Tormek sharpening, like abrasive used, honing compound, etc.

Offhand, I'd say your belt sharpened ones are left a bit more aggressive (more "teeth")... something a BESS tester may not tell you.

Maybe it needs the annual maintenance?

...
the impression that this system is only useful on straight blades without curvature otherwise the angle changes by raising the knife to follow the curve..
...

In addition to what Rick said... angle change in the belly to tip area is controlled by how you clamp the knife in relation to the curve, clamping it so it maintains the same angle as you lift/rotate it, etc.

Check out the Advanced Knife Sharpening video for this and other tips.

I think I remember I could not do that on the standard VUSB, as the jaws would interfere with the knobs/nooks/crannies. Maybe it is easier to do with the MB-102/FVB... or maybe I have a bad memory.

Try between the left (sharpening wheel side) vertical support and the switch.

Plus I find that using a vernier caliper to measure to the wheel instead of the frame, one can avoid using the tiny flexible depth bar that protrudes on the back end of the caliper as shown in cbwx's pic.

This is wobbly whereas measuring to the wheel using the leftmost ends of the moveable and fixed jaws feels much more stable. One can feel the end of the jaw lifting up from the wheel with just the tiniest turn of the microadjust nut.

You can (and I) actually use the caliper the other way... I just took the photo that way.  (Thought it'd be easier to see...) 

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...
Sure does to me and it alleviates all need to know or care about those "constants". 

Rick

"Constants" also flush out curmudgeons.   

I have never understood the reason for measuring to the frame instead of the wheel.
I realize this method was advocated by Wootz; I just never understood understood why. Measuring directly to the frame sees so much more direct.

Ken

There was some testing going on a while back that required using the "to the frame" measurement, and I realized that once you get past the original idea that the "Constant" measurements "had" to be made to hundreths of a mm, and not get caught up in trying to make tenth of a mm angle changes, etc.... but keep it for what it is, a better alternative to the Anglemaster for knives, (that mainly eliminates the error created by blade taper), I found that it can be a bit easier to use, in some situations anyway.  It's one reason I added it to the Calcapp app.

The "to the wheel" measurements is still more versatile, and the one I still use the most, but either method will get your knives sharp.

The real "secret" probably is to just pick a method, and find a simple consistent way to set the USB that works for you.