Sharpening knives, blades... with a Tormek!

[kenlip]

My previous posting inspired me to re-explore Jay's website.

He has an excellent section on sharpening. I would strongly encourage everyone to read it in its entirety. Lot's of interesting information.

How to Care for a Fine Custom Knife, Knife Care, Caring for Your Knife by
Jay Fisher

Ken

 

[newbury]

Good looking system, but way too expensive for my needs. Some years ago, I bought one of those Chef's Choice sharpeners and consider that to have been a waste of money. I do have a good bench grinder and a dye grinder if needed, but for the kitchen knives, it's the EZE LAP flat diamond stone.

Having a wife and putting 4 kids through college while having a job that required me to be gone half the time taught me that I need "maintenance" tools others can use. I think I successfully taught two of the children to sharpen knives with a stone but the other three can't sharpen knives enough to cut a f@rt. But they all can keep the kitchen knives relatively sharp with a Chef's Choice.

But just yesterday SWMBO was complaining about opening some plastic packed smoke detectors. So she hands me one, I take out my trusty Swiss Army knife, one light swipe the package is in half. She later starts on another package and I tell her to use her swiss army knife. She saws on the package for a while hands it to me because her knife is too dull.

The blades are to small for the CC. I gave her one of my "go to sharpeners", a Smith's 2-Step Knife Sharpener, I've bought about a half dozen (Lowes had them for $2.50) and keep them scattered around. She still couldn't get an edge on it. Time for me to sharpen HER tool.

 

[dragoneggs]

A little update on my Tormek. Loving it! Definitely a luxury, but I am loving the speed of sharpening vs. a stone and strop. Easy getting the angle right on a variety of tools and it has been a pleasure as well as consistent. All my knives are now sharpened better than ever from little pocket knives, to kitchen knives and everything in between. Straight chisels are gleaming and forearm hair popping sharp. I toink chisels are the easiest.

Sharpened a couple hatchets. Worked great but I could have done just as good on a stone. One thing that I am struggling with is scissors. Cheap ones and ones with a plastic shroud on the blade don't mount in the fixture well. Old metal only blades are better but think I think I need more practice. Working with scissors that you cannot separate, adds to the challenge as well.