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It has fine focus control of sorts.  The black knob on the back adjusts the height (zoom and course focus) while the gray ring on the barrel does finer focus.  It's a bit fiddly in practice, but not bad.

I have a USB microscope that's very helpful -- much better than the jeweler's loupe I have.

They exaggerate the magnification, but this is basically what it looks like with a 1-2mm edge bevel:

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B084HJ44J5/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This article does a good job explaining what I think the Japanese gentlemen in the video was talking about:
http://site.baryonyxknife.com/blog/2014/08/11/why-convex-edges-are-awesome-its-not-why-you-think/

The bottom line, according to the article, is that the advantage a convex edge of equivalent acuteness has is that it produces less drag when cutting, and thus requires less cutting effort.  Makes sense to me, and it confirms some of my own observations.

Namely, I've noticed that knives I've free-hand sharpened (which have convex edges) sometimes seem to slice paper more cleanly than slab-sided edges from fixed-angle sharpening systems, even when the fixed-angle edge scores 20-30 points lower on a BESS tester.  When I say more cleanly, I guess what I mean is that it's a quieter cut.  I think that's because the convex edge doesn't have the sharp shoulder of the flat edge.

[ultimate]

Thanks for the replies.  I will definitely order Steve's video -- looks great.  I've watched the Knife Grinders' videos and I have Dr. Kraichuk's deburring book.  It was actually one of his videos that gave me the idea of running two CBN wheels on one machine.

I get that it sounds presumptuous to start out with specialized Tormek setup, but the truth is that it's not really extravagant.  A base T-8 kit starts at around $800 with the standard alox wheel.  I would need to add additional jigs to that, plus a truing tool, so the price would go higher. 

What I'm considering for my initial purchase is the bare T-8 machine, the tool jigs kit, 2x CBN wheels, and the LA-20 (for the 2nd wheel shaft).  Total cost: $1,200.

If I was to go with the SG-250 option, I think the most economical route would be to purchase the Chef's Bundle for $1,030. 

So, only a difference of $170!  And the CBN option has the following advantages:

1.  Cuts faster;
2.  No need to regrade between grits;
3.  No need to true the wheel;
4.  No need to recalibrate based on shrinking wheel diameter;
5.  No need to deal with water;
6.  Can sharpen every kind of steel (and potentially even ceramic and tungsten).

The downsides I can think of are somewhat higher cost, dust, and noise.

In either case, I would certainly spend a good deal of time practicing with either system before taking on paid work.  I'm sure this sounds cocky, but I'm confident that I can get to where I need to be with a few months of practice.  I've been sharpening for 40 years with various systems and can regularly achieve BESS scores of +/- 100 with bench stones, fixed angle systems, or the Work Sharp Grinder.  I already have thousands of dollars in sharpening equipment, but my focus has been on high end knives and mirror finishes.

When I say I'd like to be able to get a knife sharp in under 2 minutes, that's my ultimate goal.  I know it might take years to get to that point.  But if I can get to maybe 5 minutes/knife to start, I think I can make a go of it. 

I apologize for thinking out loud here, and probably sounding like an ass.     Perhaps the best course would be to start out with the Chef's bundle, which I could upgrade to dual-CBN for about $200 more than I would have spent if I had started out with the all-CBN system....

Thank you.
I have been using a HoneRite gold solution as well
I have had zero issue with the WTW Tornado wheels.
Cannot say I am a fan of the Spartan wheels though.

May I ask what you don't like about the Spartan wheels?

So I'm thinking about turning my love of sharpening into a part-time business and considering what equipment I'd use in that capacity. I've ruled out belt grinders (but see below) because I don't want to have to worry about burned edges. I think I'm going to start out with a Tormek T-8 converted to run two CBN wheels. I reckon I need to be able to get a knife from dull to sharp in 1-2 minutes to make it worth my while. I'm wondering if I could get by with 400 as my coarse grit, which I'd follow up with something in 800-1200. Or if I had to go lower, to something like 200 grit, would 800 then be too big a jump? Or would 600 provide a good enough final finish (before stropping)?

To start, I'll probably use my KO belt grinder with leather belts for stropping/final finish. Eventually I may swap that out for a half-speed grinder with felt/paper wheels.

FYI, my experience is with bench stones, fixed angle systems (KME & Hapstone) and the aforementioned Work Sharp Ken Onion Belt Grinder and I'm just not sure how the grit ratings I'm familiar with would translate to CBN wheels on a Tormek.  Typically, for kitchen knives, I would reprofile on F80-150 stones, and for general sharpening I'll start at F240 or (Japan) 500 and finish up at F400-800 or (Japan)1000-2000. 

Thoughts? Comments? I realize that turning a hobby into a profession can suck the fun out of it, but I think I'm going to give it a go anyway. The total investment isn't so big that it would be a problem if I decide it's not my cup of tea.

No personal experience, but I believe Knife Grinders Australia and probably others have produced add-ons to use the machines (or at least the T8) with two wheels.  But I believe their system would only work with CBN or diamond wheels which don't require water.

I'm having a hard time finding info. on the limits of the Tormek Japanese wheel.  Is it capable of being use as a finishing wheel on high-Vanadium super steels like Maxamet?  If not that extreme case, what about more common steels like M390/cmp-20cv?  Thanks!