Messages

Thanks Stig and Ken.  I'll ask around the family for cheap knives, or even buy some.  I don't possess any<g>.  I'm confident I'm right about the Ezylock though.  Yes, when it's working a gentle clockwise push on the wheel releases it.  I was fortunate in that I had a plumber round this morning on another job.  He is a big lad but it took him some serious effort with a huge pipe wrench to undo it.  If a gentle clockwise push releases the nut then stopping the stone dead is giving it a tremendous tightening torque - just ask my plumber!  I think that what I need is for the HK-50 to become available over here
Gerald.

Hi guys,
  after the initial euphoria here come the blues!  I have two, possibly related problems.  I tried sharpening a hard, Japanese knife TOWARD the edge.  At some point the knife edge dug into the grinding stone and pushed me back.  Thereafter I noticed a distinct "click" with every rotation of the wheel.  I stopped and saw a chunk gouged out of the right side of the wheel, with a groove from it crossing the wheel surface.  I think this may be causing my problem with the Ezy Lock wheel nut.  I can't get it off.  The book says to turn the wheel clockwise to release the nut.  Even with the nut held in a Mole grip I cannot get it off.  According to the book the torque of the nut is set automatically while grinding.  Might my stopping the wheel with the knife have momentarily increased the torque to where it is now?
Any help gratefully received,
Gerald.

You would sharpen a Japanese knife basically the same way as a Western knife.

Here's a discussion of the issue: http://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=236.0

It always seems I am late to the party.
I built Herman's HK-50 Jig and have been using it ever since with my Japanese Knives.
Both single and double bevel.
using the manufactures recommended bevel set up the Jig for the appropriate grind angle.
I use either the SG-250 or the SB-250 to establish the Knife bevel and polish the blade bevel with the SJ-250
If you polish the blade using the SJ-250 on a frequent basis you will never need to get out the SG or SB stones.
I have one really hard steel blade FUJIWARA MABOROSHI GYUTO 180MM the SG-250 would not touch the steel but the SB-250 established the blade bevel in two passes and the SJ-250 has been polishing the edge ever since.
Using the Tormek with the HK-50 jig replicates the Japanese water stone sharpening technique with the precision of the Tormek.

Hi, guys. I'm new to the forum and this seemed an appropriate point to jump in.  I have a couple of "Zen and the art of knife sharpening" kits (Edge Pro, Wicked Edge) and came to Tormek via the WE forum.  I was very surprised (not to say dubious) at how easy it seemed to get great results quickly so I bought one.  I have a set of Tojiro Santoku kitchen knives.  These are Damascus steel with a hard (60-62 Rockwell?) core.  The vegetable knife looks like a cleaver so my wife took it to be one and hacked two huge holes out of the edge.  I had a go at fixing it with the WE but it was going to take forever. I put it on the Torkem + at 200 grit and after a few passes had taken about 1/32" off the whole edge.  I then went straight to the leather wheel and shaved paper immediately.  Very impressive.  I notice on that blade and on a slicing knife I did at 1000 grit that I have scallops into the edge, obviously due to my lack of technique.  Should I sharpen away from the blade, at least until I am used to the Torkem?  I seem to be taking liberties with the metal at the moment .
Gerald.