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#1
Knife Sharpening / Re: New angle jig KS-123
Last post by Ken S - Yesterday at 09:46:34 AMI do not own a goniometer. However, I would be less concerned with a consistent 1° difference in readings than with an inconsistent difference. Adjusting the reading on the KS-123 by 1° would be a consistent fix. Mariners use correction factors with their charts and magnetic compasses.
When I visited Tormek in Sweden in 2023, I participated in thr planning committee during the prototype development stage of the KS-123. It went through extensive testing and evaluation. A consistent 1° difference would have been a very easy fix just by repositioning the angle scale slightly.
I will investigate this further with support and post any new information.
Ken
When I visited Tormek in Sweden in 2023, I participated in thr planning committee during the prototype development stage of the KS-123. It went through extensive testing and evaluation. A consistent 1° difference would have been a very easy fix just by repositioning the angle scale slightly.
I will investigate this further with support and post any new information.
Ken
#2
General Tormek Questions / Re: Is there a way to prevent ...
Last post by Ken S - Yesterday at 09:14:30 AMWell done, Rich! This should solve the problem, with the added bonus of being very cost effective. Just one modified spacer should suffice.
I like the 3D printed idea. The original pattern would print quickly and work even with smaller printers. Plus, the pattern could be easily modified to make spacers of different thicknesses. (I am thinking of adapting Norton 3X wheels with one inch thickness and one inch bore.) While everything is set up, I would suggest making up a few spares. They would be useful and inexpensive gifts for Tormek friends.
An alternative plan would be to modify a Tormek spacer. I purchased a couple as spare parts for projects several years ago, although the original spacer would also work. Dishing out a spacer would be an easy project for a home shop machinist of local machine shop.
Again, good thinking, Rich!
Ken
I like the 3D printed idea. The original pattern would print quickly and work even with smaller printers. Plus, the pattern could be easily modified to make spacers of different thicknesses. (I am thinking of adapting Norton 3X wheels with one inch thickness and one inch bore.) While everything is set up, I would suggest making up a few spares. They would be useful and inexpensive gifts for Tormek friends.
An alternative plan would be to modify a Tormek spacer. I purchased a couple as spare parts for projects several years ago, although the original spacer would also work. Dishing out a spacer would be an easy project for a home shop machinist of local machine shop.
Again, good thinking, Rich!
Ken
#3
Knife Sharpening / Re: New angle jig KS-123
Last post by RichColvin - Yesterday at 05:01:43 AMQuote from: MARC LAVINA on August 25, 2026, 10:06:37 PMHello everyone, I am new to the forum. I have been using T8 since 2020 with standard, CBN and diamond wheels, mostly on 8" kitchen knives and a little less on my folder collection. I was so happy when KS-123 came out because of the time economy compared to the Edding/sharpie method. I check my angles before and after sharpening with a laser goniometer. I experienced a consistent difference of 1 degree that the KS-123 is below the reading of my laser instrument. Can anybody in this forum confirm that difference by his own experience?When I use the KS-123 and compare the ground edge to my laser goniometer, I do not see such a discrepancy.
#4
General Tormek Questions / Re: Is there a way to prevent ...
Last post by RichColvin - Yesterday at 04:58:50 AMI believe there is a solution if you have a metal lathe.
I asked Claude (an AI),
Capillary adhesion is experienced between the grindstone and the washer on a Tormek grinder. If the washer had most of the surface dished out (as if it were a bowl), would this surface adhesion become almost negligible?
The response was,
Yes, and quite significantly — for two separate reasons tied to the two mechanisms:
Capillary suction (Laplace pressure)
This force is roughly proportional to the contact area where the thin film exists. Dish out the center and that area shrinks to just the outer rim, so the suction force drops proportionally to how much area you've removed.
Stefan (viscous squeeze-film) adhesion
This is the bigger effect for a fast pull-apart, and it's the one that benefits most dramatically. The Stefan equation says resistance scales with the fourth power of the radial distance water has to travel to escape:
F ∝ R⁴ / h³
That R⁴ term exists because water at the center of a flat disk has to travel the full radius outward to escape when the plates squeeze together — a long, slow path. If you dish out the center, that water is sitting in an open reservoir with nowhere to build pressure — it's not trapped. Only the water in the thin rim band actually gets squeezed, and it only has to travel the width of that rim (not the full radius) to escape. Since the effective flow-path length drops so much, and the force depends on that length to the 4th power, the reduction is dramatic — often far more than proportional to the area removed.
Net effect: You wouldn't make it perfectly zero — there's still a wetted rim doing some work — but you'd cut both the suction and (especially) the "stuck fast" viscous resistance dramatically. This is essentially why things like vacuum-cup release valves, dimpled/grooved plates, and relief channels are common tricks for beating stiction — you're shortening the escape path for the trapped film rather than trying to eliminate the film itself.
You could test this premise using a 3d printed part.
I asked Claude (an AI),
Capillary adhesion is experienced between the grindstone and the washer on a Tormek grinder. If the washer had most of the surface dished out (as if it were a bowl), would this surface adhesion become almost negligible?
The response was,
Yes, and quite significantly — for two separate reasons tied to the two mechanisms:
Capillary suction (Laplace pressure)
This force is roughly proportional to the contact area where the thin film exists. Dish out the center and that area shrinks to just the outer rim, so the suction force drops proportionally to how much area you've removed.
Stefan (viscous squeeze-film) adhesion
This is the bigger effect for a fast pull-apart, and it's the one that benefits most dramatically. The Stefan equation says resistance scales with the fourth power of the radial distance water has to travel to escape:
F ∝ R⁴ / h³
That R⁴ term exists because water at the center of a flat disk has to travel the full radius outward to escape when the plates squeeze together — a long, slow path. If you dish out the center, that water is sitting in an open reservoir with nowhere to build pressure — it's not trapped. Only the water in the thin rim band actually gets squeezed, and it only has to travel the width of that rim (not the full radius) to escape. Since the effective flow-path length drops so much, and the force depends on that length to the 4th power, the reduction is dramatic — often far more than proportional to the area removed.
Net effect: You wouldn't make it perfectly zero — there's still a wetted rim doing some work — but you'd cut both the suction and (especially) the "stuck fast" viscous resistance dramatically. This is essentially why things like vacuum-cup release valves, dimpled/grooved plates, and relief channels are common tricks for beating stiction — you're shortening the escape path for the trapped film rather than trying to eliminate the film itself.
You could test this premise using a 3d printed part.
#5
Knife Sharpening / Re: New angle jig KS-123
Last post by John Hancock Sr - Yesterday at 04:26:54 AMQuote from: MARC LAVINA on August 25, 2026, 10:06:37 PMI experienced a consistent difference of 1 degree that the KS-123You need to make sure that the jig is properly seated. If it is not properly seated it can vary a little.
#6
General Tormek Questions / Re: Is there a way to prevent ...
Last post by Ken S - August 26, 2026, 09:10:54 AMI have been closely following this forum since 2009. This posting is the first I have noticed on this issue in that time. The spacer has not changed. The shaft was changed to stainless steel many years ago., as was the conversion to the EZYlock.
Anyone who has experienced a frozen EXYlock (which includes me) would consider a sliding spacer as a minor nuisance. Noticing occasional frozen EZYlock posts over the years, I sent an email to support requesting advice. Support really went the extra mile. They ran tests and discovered that they could get the EZYlock to fail, IF there was no grease on the face of the spacer facing away from the grinding wheel. Putting a thin coating of grease on this face eliminated the failure. Problem solved.
How big of a problem is a sliding spacer? For the majority of Tormek's fifty years, there was only the SG wheel. Even today, with several wheels available, many users still choose to use only the SG, which remains the most versatile wheel. The wheels could be redesigned to incorporate built in spacers. That might solve the problem, but would increase the cost per wheel. How many users would be willing to pay the extra cost?
Ken
Anyone who has experienced a frozen EXYlock (which includes me) would consider a sliding spacer as a minor nuisance. Noticing occasional frozen EZYlock posts over the years, I sent an email to support requesting advice. Support really went the extra mile. They ran tests and discovered that they could get the EZYlock to fail, IF there was no grease on the face of the spacer facing away from the grinding wheel. Putting a thin coating of grease on this face eliminated the failure. Problem solved.
How big of a problem is a sliding spacer? For the majority of Tormek's fifty years, there was only the SG wheel. Even today, with several wheels available, many users still choose to use only the SG, which remains the most versatile wheel. The wheels could be redesigned to incorporate built in spacers. That might solve the problem, but would increase the cost per wheel. How many users would be willing to pay the extra cost?
Ken
#7
Knife Sharpening / Re: New angle jig KS-123
Last post by MARC LAVINA - August 25, 2026, 10:06:37 PMHello everyone, I am new to the forum. I have been using T8 since 2020 with standard, CBN and diamond wheels, mostly on 8" kitchen knives and a little less on my folder collection. I was so happy when KS-123 came out because of the time economy compared to the Edding/sharpie method. I check my angles before and after sharpening with a laser goniometer. I experienced a consistent difference of 1 degree that the KS-123 is below the reading of my laser instrument. Can anybody in this forum confirm that difference by his own experience?
#8
General Tormek Questions / Re: Is there a way to prevent ...
Last post by MARC LAVINA - August 25, 2026, 09:39:07 PMSame problem here
#9
Knife Sharpening / Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8...
Last post by GeoBoy - August 25, 2026, 03:14:43 PMAbsolutely beautiful.
#10
Knife Sharpening / Re: Knife restoration - Puma 8...
Last post by kwakster - August 25, 2026, 11:54:33 AMWhen it's time to put the washers back on the tang in the correct order i apply a good quality thixotropic glue between them and then tighten the pommel.
The pressure causes this type of glue to temporarily become more fluid which helps to penetrate the leather & fiber better, after which the stack is allowed to dry (still under pressure) into a solid block.
The gluing makes sure that the washers will not shift anymore when the knife is ever put into use again.
When thoroughly dried the still uneven surface is then sanded smooth using homemade "sanding linen" (actually fine wet & dry SiC paper reinforced with packing tape, and then cut to strips)
This allows me much more choice in finer grits then with real sanding linen, as my goal is to remove as little from the stack surface as needed to smoothen things out.
When this is done i apply several coats of Granger's wax, using an old hair dryer between each coat to make the wax penetrate the leather as deep as possible.
When everything is cooled down again i clamp the knife blade and use strips of an old towel to seal the handle surface and give it a bit of a gloss.
The aluminium pommel is polished separately in a two-step process after sanding the stack & pommel itself.
Best to use different strips of reinforced wet & dry SiC paper for the leather & fiber and for the aluminium pommel, otherwise you risk contaminating especially the fiber washers next to the pommel with fine aluminium powder & sanding particles
This can dramatically alter their color and thus the appearance of the knife.
The pressure causes this type of glue to temporarily become more fluid which helps to penetrate the leather & fiber better, after which the stack is allowed to dry (still under pressure) into a solid block.
The gluing makes sure that the washers will not shift anymore when the knife is ever put into use again.
When thoroughly dried the still uneven surface is then sanded smooth using homemade "sanding linen" (actually fine wet & dry SiC paper reinforced with packing tape, and then cut to strips)
This allows me much more choice in finer grits then with real sanding linen, as my goal is to remove as little from the stack surface as needed to smoothen things out.
When this is done i apply several coats of Granger's wax, using an old hair dryer between each coat to make the wax penetrate the leather as deep as possible.
When everything is cooled down again i clamp the knife blade and use strips of an old towel to seal the handle surface and give it a bit of a gloss.
The aluminium pommel is polished separately in a two-step process after sanding the stack & pommel itself.
Best to use different strips of reinforced wet & dry SiC paper for the leather & fiber and for the aluminium pommel, otherwise you risk contaminating especially the fiber washers next to the pommel with fine aluminium powder & sanding particles
This can dramatically alter their color and thus the appearance of the knife.