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Thanks a lot!

That extended USB looks awesome, but my country customs are slow, unreliable and particularly pesky and expensive when it comes to USA shipments. Is there any EU or UK web store where to grab it?

Not sure I will ever need to sharpen a blade that long, but surely is good to have that option available than to miss it later.

What is your country?  Before the T2, there was a commercial model Tormek that this was a part of.  I am not aware of it ever being offered in the USA, but do believe it was for sale in the EU, that you asked about.  You may still be able to get it, from your local Tormek parts place, where here, it will be a big deal to get one.

Following is a general method for sharpening chisels with Tormek.

SG(#220) -> SG(#1000) -> Leather wheel.

But I want to do it with SJ wheel instead leather wheel.

In this case, how can I remove the burr of a flat side?

Side of the wheel?  (Maybe with the machine off?)   

I'm of the belief that flat sides that need to stay flat, should be done on something flat, (if there's a chance it'll change the angle).

(p.s. Haven't tried... just an idea).

I can't use the side of the stone because I've drawn the angle on the side of the stone for freehand knife sharpening.

You don't mention the machine, but there are two sides to the wheel.  Are marks on both of them?
If not, could you stand where the nut on the stone was facing your belly button, and move the chisel from left to right across the top of the stone, until the burr is gone?

This reminds me since I have my second Tormek, I need to see if that numbered nut, fits on the old one that has the original black nut with no numbers.  I seem to remember reading that the bars changed thread types (went to or from an acme thread), so I didn't want to screw up the threads.

That would be a good question for Tormek support.

Look at the old threads on knife guards.  The Tormek forum over on Yahoo, has something on sizes (from memory) and I picked up some old manila file folders (damaged freight store, something like $5), which is heavier material I have used to make guards from.

Could it have something to do with the radius?
My understanding is the blackstone, was initially for turners and harder metals they use in their tools.  I thought the smaller radius of the T3-T4 series, were towards the bottom end of useful size for turning tools.

That doesn't mean it couldn't have a place there, but it would be a smaller informed target audience, then the probability of those who buy the stone, thinking they could use it for something it wasn't supposed to be for. (more unhappy customers then happy ones)

On the knife block..
Use some food grade wood and make a square, fill it with bamboo skewers and you have a knife block that you can place a knife in anywhere, and pull it apart for cleaning.  They make/sell commercial versions with plastic skewers for more money if you like.

I was interested to see that review, as I have the commercial version of one of those knives (Millennial instead of the Genesis line).  The difference is the handle and NSF certification.  Price varies by location of course, but I picked up the Nakiri and Santoku for $10 from a damaged freight store.  For that price, a few minutes more often at the sharpening station, seems a bargain.
I actually have one of the Nakiri's back from the restaurant today, to sharpen. (wondering what is for dinner)

Remember only the edge is on the stone.  The other matter, must travel up in the water that goes on the blade.  You should be able to adjust that by the amount of water in the trough, as well as speed of the knife on the stone, the angle, etc.

Was Paul Hogan the customer?

Define low quality?

Inexpensive, doesn't equate to low quality.  (hope that isn't what your thinking)

If they are just lower quality steel (something like older carbon steel/rusting type of knives), I would go more towards a western, twenty degree per side angle.
However, sometimes it is better to ask what they use them for.  I prefer more of the twenty degree cut on knives used for dicing/mincing/smashing, and fifteen degree if they are going to be used more as slicers.

Wootz,

Does wood type matter?

I know there are a couple different types of plastic cutting boards, some harder, some softer.  I also know there are wooden cutting boards of various species, as well as commercial ones that are man made types of wood (for examples look at some of the pizza cutting boards, thinnner)

I do know that slicing verse chopping does make a difference, as well as the user (saw someone who should know better, chopping a newly sharpened knife into a cutting board for no reason, made me cringe).  Slicing, sometimes one can rotate the food and never even make contact with the cutting board, but I wouldn't want to hold food I am chopping.

On my first day I was shown their sharpening system - a Tormek T7.   I went away and reluctantly started learning Tormek way,
It was a steep learning curve, but a very worth while one.

Michael,

I'm interested in knowing more about why the learning curve is so high.  Is there something that we as a community could do / provide (e.g., videos, etc.) that would make this easier?

Kind regards,
Rich

Why Jeff Farris video's are old, they are pretty much the only ones out there.  More video's, especially with the newer jigs would be good. (IMHO)  Heck, I would love for them to go over the differences even, with the older and newer jigs.  It might cause some to upgrade, especially those who have inherited or obtained their systems, second hand.
Also, part of why I think the learning curve is high, is Jeff must have read the same book we were told to read back in school.  (Get your point across in 30 seconds or less)  His video's, contain SO much information, in those sentences and showing what he is doing, it is common for people to miss little things in them.  I believe Ken and I had a discussion about one of the video's years back and I pointed something out that he (or whichever poster it was) missed.  I am thinking it is Ken, because he then mentioned how he learned something new, every time he watches it.  Maybe we condense information a little too much as teachers, due to how we believe society lives only on soundbites.


After that, there is still the issue that a lot of people have, and that is always practice, verses discouragement of not getting something right, the first time.  (and getting older used/damaged tools to practice with)

I have the course, ordered it pretty close to when he announced retirement.

I still see benefit from having someone with experience, watch the student as they may catch things that you don't realize your doing, to cause issues.

Stig has told me about an American knife sharpener named Terry. I forget the vast number of knives Terry has sharpened over the years. What is even more amazing is that Terry bought his Tormek used, several years used. His venerable SuperGrind is still going strong! My grandfather's 1891 Stanley jack plane still works great, even with a broken frog, however, that is with very light use. Terry's SuperGrind gets day in day out commercial use.

Terry is in this video...

Tormek Sharpens 30,000 knives

Since Steve has retired, I would love to meet this guy and take some training from him.  I can see this as a retirement gig.

Holiday time, makes less time for forums or other non work activities.  I was thinking what about mineral oil, as it is inert and what is used on cutting boards, for the leather wheel?  (as well as on commercial cutting equipment, etc)

To be honest, I never tried it.  As they are not my knives, but those from my friends restaurant, I wasn't willing to screw them up.  I knew if I screwed things up with the Tormek way, it would be due to an off angle (not measuring each knife individually) and I could correct that.

I do need to find where I put it all, as my shop went into a state of confusion in a re arrranging while I am changing its location.