If you are familiar with Knife Grinders in Australia (Dr. Vadim Kraichuk), you know that he has developed the science of knife sharpening far beyond the "conventional wisdom". What is offered for sale here is a complete, turnkey set of equipment that will enable anybody, so inclined and disciplined, to reproduce Dr. Kraichuk's system and process with similar results. All the essential equipment is here, plus many items that are not essential. It will take a lot of work to understand the system and how to get the most out of it, but everything is here to set up a deluxe home or small production-level knife sharpening operation.
The Knife Grinders system is based on the idea that it is VERY difficult to get rid of burrs, and most 'sharp" knives retain microscopic burrs. For a knife to be truly sharp and durable, the burr must be removed completely. The only way to do that is by careful application of abrasives at very specific angles, usually including angles "less" than the target knife apex angle. The approach varies by knife and steel type. You will need to read Dr Kraichuk's book (on Amazon or the Knife Grinders AU website) to fully appreciate the approach. "Knife Deburring - The Science Behind the Lasting Razor Edge". I would not recommend buying this "system” without having at least scanned Dr. Kraichuk’s book. You can expect to spend several man-weeks setting the system up completely, getting all the angles established, fully understanding the approach, etc.
A large variety of Tormek attachments/accessories, including axe, drill, chisel, prop, etc.
Two Tormek leather wheels
2 super-hard felt wheels, one apexed
Front vertical base (FVB)
With Knife Grinder controlled-angle stands mounted to solid platforms
My spreadsheet for managing customer knives, includes specific settings for each knife. This is one of the big advantages of buying this setup - once you enter the type of metal, desired angle, blade thickness, etc., the spreadsheet does the setup calculations and recommendations. Easy once you get the hang of it.
Optical inspection devices - loupe, microscope, etc.
Calipers of different sizes and orientation
Several grinding and polishing stones, flattening steels, etc.
Lots of abrasives (paste, spray): natural and synthetic diamond, CrO2, etc.
Strops: wood, horse, kangaroo, etc.
One of the CBN wheels is badly pitted on one side. I left it in the trough for about a week. (Don't do that). See photo. It has been run in with a tormek dressing stone and some throw-away knives so that now it works fine, but it looks ugly. The real magic of this system is the paper wheels, felt wheel, and stropping - at the proper angles. The Tormek wheels are primarily for setting the base edge and contour and removing dents, etc. prior to deburring and sharpening.
Custom Jig like the one Knife Grinders uses to set the distance from blade to base of Tormek handle
Rare (and expensive) kit for sharpening Cutco serrated knives (none on eBay)
Spyderco Sharpmaker with optional course sticks and Ken Onion edition Worksharp with blade attachment
[Sometimes you need to make someone happy right now!]
HUGE vernier caliper for precise measurements of dimensions needed for paper wheel angle setup
Practice chef knives of good quality
There is a lot of stuff here, and a lot to learn. I will include three 30-minute phone calls for general guidance and advice. I can't promise I remember everything, and in general, I think it's better to figure this stuff out on your own. It's a little complicated at times, but the results are worth the effort. First step is to thoroughly read and absorb the Knife Grinders book and website.
More information may be found by doing a search on the title of this post.
Local pickup near Aurora IL. Cannot ship. Cash/Vemo/PP F&F ok. As long as I can see the deposit in my account. Sales final.
The Knife Grinders system is based on the idea that it is VERY difficult to get rid of burrs, and most 'sharp" knives retain microscopic burrs. For a knife to be truly sharp and durable, the burr must be removed completely. The only way to do that is by careful application of abrasives at very specific angles, usually including angles "less" than the target knife apex angle. The approach varies by knife and steel type. You will need to read Dr Kraichuk's book (on Amazon or the Knife Grinders AU website) to fully appreciate the approach. "Knife Deburring - The Science Behind the Lasting Razor Edge". I would not recommend buying this "system” without having at least scanned Dr. Kraichuk’s book. You can expect to spend several man-weeks setting the system up completely, getting all the angles established, fully understanding the approach, etc.
What is included:
Two Tormek 10" low-speed water wheel grinders - T7 and T8
7 Tormek-compatible grinding wheels of various grits and compositionsA large variety of Tormek attachments/accessories, including axe, drill, chisel, prop, etc.
Two Tormek leather wheels
2 super-hard felt wheels, one apexed
Front vertical base (FVB)
Two JET variable speed buffers for use with paper wheels
4 appropriate paper wheelsWith Knife Grinder controlled-angle stands mounted to solid platforms
Standard 8" grinder (misc. tasks) and long-spindle 6" grinder (high speed paper wheels)
iMac 21" computer (old) for running useful software
Knife Grinders angle-setting softwareMy spreadsheet for managing customer knives, includes specific settings for each knife. This is one of the big advantages of buying this setup - once you enter the type of metal, desired angle, blade thickness, etc., the spreadsheet does the setup calculations and recommendations. Easy once you get the hang of it.
BESS sharpness tester and laser angle indicator
See video of a knife sharpened with this equipment scoring below 50 BESS (razor): BESS razor vs knife (KG Aus)Optical inspection devices - loupe, microscope, etc.
Calipers of different sizes and orientation
Several grinding and polishing stones, flattening steels, etc.
Lots of abrasives (paste, spray): natural and synthetic diamond, CrO2, etc.
Strops: wood, horse, kangaroo, etc.
One of the CBN wheels is badly pitted on one side. I left it in the trough for about a week. (Don't do that). See photo. It has been run in with a tormek dressing stone and some throw-away knives so that now it works fine, but it looks ugly. The real magic of this system is the paper wheels, felt wheel, and stropping - at the proper angles. The Tormek wheels are primarily for setting the base edge and contour and removing dents, etc. prior to deburring and sharpening.
There are other items included also. If it's in the photos, it's included (except the dog and the car). Here are a few noteworthy additional items:
Custom Jig like the one Knife Grinders uses to set the distance from blade to base of Tormek handle
Rare (and expensive) kit for sharpening Cutco serrated knives (none on eBay)
Spyderco Sharpmaker with optional course sticks and Ken Onion edition Worksharp with blade attachment
[Sometimes you need to make someone happy right now!]
HUGE vernier caliper for precise measurements of dimensions needed for paper wheel angle setup
Practice chef knives of good quality
There is a lot of stuff here, and a lot to learn. I will include three 30-minute phone calls for general guidance and advice. I can't promise I remember everything, and in general, I think it's better to figure this stuff out on your own. It's a little complicated at times, but the results are worth the effort. First step is to thoroughly read and absorb the Knife Grinders book and website.
More information may be found by doing a search on the title of this post.
Local pickup near Aurora IL. Cannot ship. Cash/Vemo/PP F&F ok. As long as I can see the deposit in my account. Sales final.
$3,000
26 photos may be viewed in this Dropbox folder: Knife Grinders System PHOTOS
I am not interested in splitting this up. Please do me a favor and resist the urge to ask about that. Come New Years, if nobody has bought the whole enchilada, maybe I’ll reconsider.
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