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#1
Knife Sharpening / Re: CBN vs Diamond
Last post by Thy Will Be Done - Today at 07:02:22 AM
Quote from: Ken S on May 28, 2023, 05:45:29 PMTormek mentions that their ACC solution can be used with their standard grinding wheels. I think we must overlook arguments pertaining to high speed grinding.

I also have faith that Tormek, with HÃ¥kan's lifetime of super abrasive expertise, had good reason to choose diamond wheels. Tormek could have chosen either.

I am convinced that this not an either/or issue. Diamond wheels are obviously not a good candidate or higher speed dry grinders with the BGM-100. Or, for any wheel coarser than 360 grit. I have 80 and 180 grit CBN wheels. That does not prevent me from using 360/600/1200 grit diamond wheels. There is no need for all the wheels to match.

 Agree that either will work.

Ken

Well it seems that Tormek obviously have their reasons and I would say that there may be an advantage but as you say they lack the real low grits.  I don't find this to be an issue because actually I'd be more interested in the higher grits as I don't believe it's needed that you shape most any steel tool (HSS and all) on diamond/CBN.  Where it seems critical is on the higher grits with those harder to grind steels as the abrasive size starts to approach the size of the actual carbides or aggregates of those carbides.
#2
General Tormek Questions / Re: To Trim or Not To Trim?
Last post by Ken S - Today at 04:32:16 AM
I could not remember if my rubber drive wheel had a center ridge line or not. I removed my honing wheel. There is indeed a small center ridge line. It hasn't done any harm in thirteen years. I wouldn't worry about it.

Ken
#3
Knife Sharpening / Re: Polished edge for knives
Last post by JohnHancock - Today at 04:11:10 AM
Interestingly I was watching a video last night from a Japanese master craftsman who was talking about sharpening. He said that it was a mistake to take a knife to 10,000 or higher since it - as you say - removes the tooth from the knife and makes cutting thinks with an outer skin such as tomatoes harder.
#4
Leave it. It dies not harm and trimming may damage the rubber if you slip.
#5
General Tormek Questions / To Trim or Not To Trim?
Last post by darita - Yesterday at 11:13:36 PM
Every time I see this ridge on the drive wheel, it bugs me.  Will it hurt or help anything If I do trim it?

#6
General Tormek Questions / Re: Why No CBN Wheels > 1200?
Last post by darita - Yesterday at 11:11:28 PM
Thanks!  Just what I was looking for.
#7
Knife Sharpening / Re: Polished edge for knives
Last post by 3D Anvil - Yesterday at 07:13:20 PM
I went through a similar process.  When I started to get serious about knife sharpening I was using a fixed-angle system and I was really into mirror edges. 

I guess sushi chefs prefer a very refined edge because they want the cleanest cut possible, but for most other purposes I think a toothier edge is preferable.  Also, even when I use a 400 grit wheel as my final, the bevel eventually becomes polished through repeated stropping.
#8
Knife Sharpening / Polished edge for knives
Last post by tgbto - Yesterday at 06:52:02 PM
When I began sharpening, I had that conception that a polished edge was better. It also looked damn cool.

Before I bought my T-8, I had #4000 Chosera benchstones, then #6000 EP stones for stick&rod sharpening systems, etc. etc. And I purchased the SJ with my Tormek, a few days before I saw many posts on this forum urging to learn the SG first and decide later.

I still think a polished edge looks better. Yet what I now aim for when sharpening is more of a compromise between sharpness, edge retention, and sharpening time. I consider the conclusions of the late Wootz - namely that edge retention depends mostly on edge angle and steel, not on initial sharpness - a valid basis.

Wootz also recommended to polish the sides - but not the apex - to increase initial sharpness, which requires time and effort, but mostly to obtain a very low initial BESS score.

My experience is that for multipurpose knives (chef/gyutos/santokus) or vegetable knives (nakiri or paring knives), a knife that has been polished to the apex feels less sharp earlier than one that hasn't. For meat-only knives, that don't hit bones, I feel this is less true.

Quite frankly, aside from the neat looks of a SJ-polished edge, I see little interest for kitchen knives sharpening. Quite the opposite. My standard process is ungraded SG and PA-70 honing compound on the leather honing wheel, with the FVB. My BESS scores have dropped consistently over the last two years, and now I hit 70-85 BESS on Global or similar knives, @15dps. And I feel that I have to sharpen them less often.

So I guess my question to you guys would be: do you have similar experiences ? Is there something I might be doing wrong when going SG graded fine -> SJ -> honing wheel ?



#9
General Tormek Questions / Re: Why No CBN Wheels > 1200?
Last post by 3D Anvil - Yesterday at 04:07:39 PM
There are resin-bonded CBN wheels in grits up to 10k.  They will change diameter over time, but very slowly and by a very small amount.  And of course they are pricey.

https://www.amazon.com/Resin-Grinding-Tormek-Sharpening-System/dp/B0BS9GY6HJ?ref_=ast_sto_dp
#10
General Tormek Questions / Why No CBN Wheels > 1200?
Last post by darita - Yesterday at 03:42:25 PM
Just wondering why there are no CBN wheels finer than 1200 grit? Is there another alternative that doesn't need truing and won't change diameter?