Question to those of you who sharpen multiple knives...

[JustADudeInSweden]

Hey!

I'm a noob and a hobby sharpener who jsut got a T4.

I don't have many knives, but it's still a pain in the @... to

- take knife 1, use the grade stone to go to low grit, sharpen, use stone to change to high grit
(change knife)
- take knife 2, use the grade stone to go to low grit, sharpen, use stone to change to high grit
etc

curious to know if you (who sharpen many knives per day) do the above for each knife or do something like:

use the grade stone to go to low grit, sharpen knives 1,2,3,4,5 etc
use stone to change to high grit, sharpen knives 1,2,3,4,5 etc

[Ken S]

Ryan,

If you think using the stone grader is a pain, try the other method:
Setup each of your knives in the jig. Grind them coarse.
Remove each knife from the jig.
Carefully place each knife back in the jig in the exact same place. Grind fine.

Try it. I think this method is much more of a pain than quickly regrading the grinding wheel.

Also, for many knives which are dull, but not damaged, you can omit the coarse grinding. This eliminates both switching back and forth with the stone grader and having to reset the jig (the best of both worlds).

With practice, you will soon become proficient with the stone grader.

Ken

[JustADudeInSweden]

Try it. I think this method is much more of a pain than quickly regrading the grinding wheel.

Nope, I agree that it would be a bigger pain, I was wondering if the commercial guys have multiple machines to help...

I actually get a kick feeling the stone go from rough to smooth  , I had no idea of this being possible in the knife sharpening world before coming to Tormek.

I wonder if perhaps I am spending too much time to go from smooth to rough and vice versa ? Other than the feel method is there some way to test when the stone is "done" converting from one to the other?



> Also, for many knives which are dull, but not damaged, you can omit the coarse grinding. This eliminates both switching back and forth with the stone grader and having to reset the jig (the best of both worlds).


I will have to sharpen at the existing angle then, yes?


Thanks!

[cbwx34]

Other than testing, I rarely grade the stone "coarse" for knife sharpening... I don't think it's needed unless you're fixing some damage or a serious reprofile.

Usually, I don't grade the stone at all.  This puts it in between coarse and fine... around 600g.  If i want it finer, then I'd use the fine side of the grader.  (Then give it a quick hit with the coarse side, to bring it back to the in between state, or just continue sharpening).

[Ukfraser]

I spent ages getting all my  knives into a good condition but as they weren't damaged or miss treated, they only needed the fine grit. Even an old bowie knife which id never sharpened in 50 years. 
i find i only need to use the honing wheel many times before they have to go back onto the sg200 wheel set at fine. As others have said, i only use the coarse for serious reshaping and removing chips (mainly on my axe and chisels) though i do use the soft side of the grader to give the stone a quick dress every now and then. But i do use the marker method so i know im only working on the existing angle of the kitchen and outdoor knives.

[tgbto]

I no longer use the tormek stone grader. I use the diamond plates in the SE-77.

I have the fine plate more or less sitting in the SE-77, and when I need to greade the stone fin I slip the SE-77 onto a horizontally mounted USB (that I don't use much, as I always use the long USB). Then I finish the knife on the stone graded fine, then hone.

Then only do I change the knife and start sharpening it on the stone without grading it coarse. The stone will quickly get back to its ca. 600 grit, in-between state.

[JustADudeInSweden]

Thanks guys!

I think I had a misconception  that using the Tormek was always a 1-2 step process (first coarse then fine), from your replies it sounds like coarse is needed only for damaged /chipped knives

I no longer use the tormek stone grader. I use the diamond plates in the SE-77.

Interesting! Don't the diamond plates "cut" off a thin layer of stone (lessen lifespan) ?

[tgbto]

They do, yes : they abrade the surface and break down the surface particles in the process. Pretty much the same way the stone grader does.

I have not noticed faster wear from the stones. I did find though, that I had to true the wheel less often.

Just for clarity, I did not invent this process at all, I saw it in one of Wootz's videos on stone grading.

[Ken S]

One of the things new users need to overcome is the "my precious Tormek grinding wheel syndrome". All grinding wheels are long term consumibles, just like brake linings on a car.

Use your grinding wheel. Keep it trued and dressed. At some point in the future, it will wear out, as will your car and your body. All will work better if you maintain them.

Ken

[JustADudeInSweden]

They do, yes : they abrade the surface and break down the surface particles in the process. Pretty much the same way the stone grader does.

I have not noticed faster wear from the stones. I did find though, that I had to true the wheel less often.

Just for clarity, I did not invent this process at all, I saw it in one of Wootz's videos on stone grading.

Yup, came across that video on a youtube search. It seemed like good different solution to the Tormek tool.

I don't own the Tormke truing tool (yet  ) but from videos it looks like it leaves small lines which the plates solution dont.

Makes more sense if you have a main use for that that jig other than truing, I suppose.

Use your grinding wheel. Keep it trued and dressed. At some point in the future, it will wear out, as will your car and your body.

No! Not my body! 
But I get what you mean 

[Ukfraser]

I think you should get a truing tool so you know the stone is true. You need to take it over very slowly which minimises the fine lines but from my understanding it makes it a bit more coarse. And then get the surface nice and fine with the grader and you wont notice the lines.

[JustADudeInSweden]

I'm making (editing) my unboxing video on my Tormek, when I first installed the stone I did a check if there was a wobble (some people complained online) but thankfully, no wobble and it seems quite level out of the box.

Not sure when I will need to get it level as I'm just a hobby sharpener with 5 Global knives, 5ish hobby knives, and few from family...

[Ken S]

I am a slow truer. While I prefer to true often and lightly, when I do true, I make very light cuts, generally only a fraction of a microadjust number. I generally take at least 90 seconds to make a pass. I won't win any speed contests; however, I have never chippeda stone and I don't have grooves.

Ken

[cbwx34]

I tried the diamond plate routine... while it keeps the wheel flat (true) edge to edge, I found that the wheel can go out of round after a while... the truing tool prevents this.

Maybe just me.   

[JustADudeInSweden]

I am a slow truer. While I prefer to true often and lightly, when I do true, I make very light cuts, generally only a fraction of a microadjust number. I generally take at least 90 seconds to make a pass. I won't win any speed contests; however, I have never chippeda stone and I don't have grooves.

Ken

I think I shall try this method when I eventually need to true the stone - I'm not sharpening to win any races either. 

I tried the diamond plate routine... while it keeps the wheel flat (true) edge to edge, I found that the wheel can go out of round after a while... the truing tool prevents this.

Maybe just me.   

Interesting, thanks!