Recent posts

#11

Knife Sharpening / Re: Best approach for sharpeni...

Last post by tgbto - August 04, 2026, 11:49:05 AM

I simply lock the knife in the jig, set a fixed projection length (like 138 mm from the clamp to the arch), and adjust the support height until the felt wheel perfectly matches the serration angle. Then I just guide the knife smoothly across the wheel.

I have no experience with diamond-loaded felt, so I will defer to those who have. IMO, as long as you slightly grind the edge you're good. However, I'd be careful with guiding "the knife smoothly over the wheel" as you risk rounding out the tips of the serrations. Also, if your grinding is efficient, you *will* get a burr on the backside, that you will have to remove somehow, and honing the frontside will not be sufficient : you will most likely get a foil-like burr.

[EDIT] Have you seen this post about serrated knives ? [/EDIT]

#12

Knife Sharpening / Re: Best approach for sharpeni...

Last post by Peter_Kegels - August 04, 2026, 11:08:59 AM

Hi tgbto,
Thanks for the reality check! You are completely right about the LA-120 and the standard stone.
To solve this, I am planning a different approach using a solid wool felt wheel on the Tormek shaft, loaded with diamond paste.
Because the Tormek runs so slow, it won't burn the steel.To get the perfect angle without freehand guesswork, I will use the standard Tormek knife jig on the universal support.

I simply lock the knife in the jig, set a fixed projection length (like 138 mm from the clamp to the arch), and adjust the support height until the felt wheel perfectly matches the serration angle. Then I just guide the knife smoothly across the wheel.

What are your thoughts on using diamond-loaded felt on the Tormek this way? Do you think it's a good alternative to hand-filing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4LItIdH-FI

#13

Knife Sharpening / Re: How to achieve less than 1...

Last post by tgbto - August 04, 2026, 11:04:30 AM

hi

Surface polishing and deburring can be done using 80-120 grit sanders

Yet another commercial post that only adds confusion. Those are becoming more frequent.

#14

Knife Sharpening / Re: Best approach for sharpeni...

Last post by tgbto - August 04, 2026, 10:52:53 AM

You have to grind the serrations before you hone or else you'll just have polished, blunt serrations. The Tormek technique for grinding serrations is freehand on the rounded shoulders of the grinding wheel. Some suggest to grind the backside with the side of the wheel, others to just hone the backside.

As for me, I prefer to clamp the knife in a vise or any holder, work on the serrations with a round ceramic rod, then use a few light passes of a very fine diamond plate for the backside.

The Tormek method is too much trouble IMO for serrated knives, and it is easy to grind way too much, or to inadvertently change the shape of the serrations.

#15

Knife Sharpening / Best approach for sharpening s...

Last post by Peter_Kegels - August 04, 2026, 07:58:57 AM

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have experience sharpening serrated steak knives using Tormek gear?
I am considering using the LA-120 Profiled Leather Honing Wheels with PA-70 honing compound to polish the individual serrations.

However, I am wondering if this is the most effective approach or if there is a better alternative within the Tormek ecosystem.
If you have tried this, did you mount the wheels individually to get more clearance, and did the standard 3 mm radius profile fit your steak knives well?

Any tips or experiences would be greatly appreciated!Thanks in advance.

#16

Knife Sharpening / Re: How to achieve less than 1...

Last post by advjacky - August 04, 2026, 05:25:16 AM

hi

Surface polishing and deburring can be done using 80-120 grit sanders

#17

General Tormek Questions / Re: T4 setup question

Last post by John Hancock Sr - August 03, 2026, 05:12:39 AM

If look look at the picture on the Tormek site here - https://tormek.com/en/products/honing-wheels/leather-honing-wheels/la-120-profiled-leather-honing-wheel - then you can see that you remove the nut from the honing wheel then screw the supplied extension onto the shaft. The honing wheels then fit to the end of the extension and the nut you removed earlier screws on the end of the extension to hold the honing wheels in place.

#18

General Tormek Questions / T4 setup question

Last post by Genots - August 02, 2026, 11:10:45 PM

I am just starting out. I have seen videos showing that after honing the outside of the bowl gouge I hone the inside with a smaller wheel with a convex edge.

My T4 came with such a smaller wheel but its mounting hole is not the same shape as the rod the large honing wheel is mounted on. So there is no way to attach the small wheel.

This seems so basic it's hard to believe the manual doesn't cover it but I can't find anything about it in the manual.

Any tips?

#19

General Tormek Questions / Re: Shutting down

Last post by John Hancock Sr - July 31, 2026, 08:13:41 AM

I'm taking it back to the store where I bought it and will ask for a replacement

Good idea.

#20

Knife Sharpening / Re: Wheel direction

Last post by John Hancock Sr - July 31, 2026, 08:12:42 AM

Both directions work.

I do a mixture of jig and hand. Although no where near the skill of those mentioned I do edge leading with jigs and edge trailing freehand. It just seems to make sense.