Tormek ... Gimmick?

[Steve Mathews]

I just purchased a Tormek T8 Custom and fitted it with 10" CBN and leather wheels. I already had a slow speed 10" grinder with 8" CBN wheels and a Oneway grinding system for sharpening woodturning tools, which has served me well. The Tormek purchase was motivated after getting into some wood carving. I thought it might be better suited for that purpose especially because of the leather honing capability and since I would be wood carving in another part of my shop an additional sharpening station seemed to make sense. After setting up the machine I sharpened a couple of general purpose chisels with the Square Edge Jig. My first impression was ... why did I purchase this? The chisel already had a decent flat ground edge that could've been easily touched up with my sharpening stones. And if the edge was so badly damaged I could've fixed it with tools I already had. I also got the feeling that the Tormek was nothing more than a gimmick, one of those late night purchases on the shopping channel, my wife's purchases not mine. Should I keep the Tormek and risk it ending up in a closet along with the bread maker, various vegetable cutters, cotton candy machine, hot dog cooker, etc?

[mike stenson]

I find my tormek to be great for sharpening turning tools. Things like chisels and plane irons, faster with a normal bench grinder and stones. They're simply too slow for those imo

[Bill Howatt]

I find my tormek to be great for sharpening turning tools. Things like chisels and plane irons, faster with a normal bench grinder and stones. They're simply too slow for those imo

There are too many happy Tormek users to make me think it is a gimmick.
I don't have a Tormek but your comment is the opposite of what I would have thought would be the case. Slowness sharpening turnng tools is often stated as a negative for Tormeks especially since turning tools need to be sharpened frequently compared to hand tools.

[John Kananis]

Just kind of boils down to method of work. I use mine for all sorts of things from knives to scissors, etc. You really can sharpen just about anything with it and I like using it for a hollow grind instead of my 8" or 6" grinders as I like a flatter bevel. That said, I could totally live without it if I had to. I initially purchased to sharpen turning tools but I've gone free hand with a Wolverine platform for those now.

[Andrew Hughes]

I really like my Tormek. I have use the stones on mines. I guarantee there are things you can do on a Tormek that cannot be done on a regular bench grinder or sharpening stones.
I does take time to learn the ways of slow grinding. I encourage you to keep it
Good Luck

[mike stenson]

I don't have a Tormek but your comment is the opposite of what I would have thought would be the case. Slowness sharpening turnng tools is often stated as a negative for Tormeks especially since turning tools need to be sharpened frequently compared to hand tools.

I sharpen my hand tools several times during use. Basically, I keep my stones out when using them. Reestablishing a bevel, removing a nick etc, with the tormek is, well.. So slow it's painful. On the other hand, I don't turn often. If I did, I'd imagine a tormek holder for a bench grinder would be better. Its the jigs, not the low speed, that I like for turning tools.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Check out Taylor tools sharpening system for straight edge tools. Less than fifty bucks for complete system, plus cost of drill press.

[Richard Coers]

I added the planer knife attachment on my Jet version. I couldn't be happier doing my 12" jointer and planer blades. Not every machine feels just right when you use it for the first time.

[Mike Henderson]

I've used the Tormek system in the past but didn't like it for my needs - one reason is that it's a wet system. It's also very expensive.

For chisels and plane blades, I use a WorkSharp with diamond plates to establish the primary bevel and then water stones to put on a secondary bevel.

For turning tools (I don't do a lot of turning) I use a CBN wheel and the Wolverine jig.

Mike

[mike stenson]

I added the planer knife attachment on my Jet version. I couldn't be happier doing my 12" jointer and planer blades. Not every machine feels just right when you use it for the first time.

This was awesome, when I had straight knives!

[David M Peters]

I had a similar experience with Tormek. Too slow compared to my dry grinder, didn't deliver as sharp of an edge as stones.

The good news is that it sold quickly and for a good amount on eBay!

[Randy Heinemann]

I never found my Tormek, which I've owned for 20 years, to be useful for chisels or planes. However, when I started turning about 7 years ago, I found that the Tormek jig for gouges is the easiest and best way to resharpen HSS gouges. Scrapers are also easy to sharpen on the Tormek. When Tormek came out with diamond wheels several years ago, I bought a 600 grit. It is now installed on my Tormek and, while on the lathe, I just go over to the Tormek to sharpen my gouge frequently and it takes literally less than a minute (maybe 30 seconds sometimes). So, the Tormek just stays set up for my HSS gouges. I do have a regular slow speed grinder (Rikon) with CBN wheels that I use when shaping a gouge or scraper because that is faster. The Tormek isn't for everyone. It's expensive, but they do have a jig for everything and is very handy for more specialized types of tools. For resharpening chisels and plane blades I have a set of bench stones and a honing guide from Lie-Nielsen that works much better than any grinder for that.

[Steve Demuth]

I don't know that I'd call it a gimmick, but I do consider them highly over-rated. I use mine very infrequently, preferring a low speed dry grinder for things requiring actual grinding, and diamond flat stones for honing and secondary bevels. The turning tool jig is great, but you can use the same jig on a dry grinder, so it's not really a selling point.

[James Jayko]

I haven't used a Tormek but it seems pretty great. That said, I think what I mean is that the jigs make it look super easy to use any grinder. Just saw Mike Farrington's video about his grinding station using a traditional grinder and Tormek jig...that seemed like the ability to get basically the same functionality (the functionality that I'd want, anyway) for a lot less money? Yes slow and you have to be more careful re heat, but I ain't in that big of a rush anyway. Or am I missing the point?

[Scott Bernstein]

It seems there as many sharpening kids, tools, machines, and techniques as there are blades to be sharpened. If one single method was the best for everyone, we'd all be using the same method...but obviously that is not the case.
I have tried a few different jigs and techniques before finally settling on the Tormek. I have found that at least for me, the Tormek does an amazing job quickly for everything I need to sharpen. I can use it for chisels, planes, kitchen knives, straight razors, pocket knives, and axes. There is little mess or cleanup other than filling it with water. Yes, it's expensive. Yes you can accomplish the same thing with more generic wheels and such. But Tormek does a great job of putting a whole system together. I use mostly the standard sharpening wheel, grading stone, and leather honing wheel. For really thin kitchen knives and my straight razor that I like to keep scary-sharp I can break out the Tormek Japanese stone. Works amazing. If I want to flatten the backs of my chisels I can either use the side of the Tormek diamond stone or I can just use my flat diamond plates, which I keep around for just that purpose.