Tormek T-7 or belt grinder?

R

Ross99

Joined
May 31, 2011
Messages
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Hi, I currently use my belt grinder to put a short convex edge on my machetes. Am thinking of getting a Tormek T-7 and switching over to short flat ground edges, mostly because it will be easier for the owner to sharpen the blade. Will the Tormek work on a very long blade(15" or so) such as a machete? If not, will a custom jig work?

Any other thoughts concerning a short(machete) flat ground edge formed on a 2x72 as opposed to a Tormek?


Thanks guys.



http://akiblades.com
 
I like my tormek. I don't make knives, but I like it for sharpening my knives. It can sharpen pretty much whatever length blade that you want.
 
I just got the grizzly 10" wet grinder, fraction of the price of the Tormek, all the Tormek attachments work perfect on this machine. It is easy to sharpen anything to razor sharp. I like the wet stone and slow speed, for great control. You can sharpen long blades by hand, not using the knife jig, but you have to strop at an angle, but will still work. The setup using the round bar makes it easy to adapt your own jig if you wanted.

They have a great sale on the 10"

http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-Wet-Grinder-Kit-Anniversary-Edition/T10010ANV?gcsct=0ChMIwJzIuLGpuwIVZNVECh1sGAAAEAE
 
Search around long enough here for the tormek, and surely you will come across some of my older posts on why I hated the one I bought. There are cheaper, faster, cleaner and better methods and machines, believe me.

$40 1x30 harbor freight belt sander being one of them. A cheaper machine by hundreds of dollars, and far superior IMO.
 
I have a Tormek T7 and a belt grinder. They are different animals for different uses. I love my Tormek but I would not use it to shape a knife or stock removal of any kind. The same for my belt grinder it removes material so fast it would be like using a 50 cal to kill a squirrel, would it do the job? yes but what would the end result be. With that being said a machete could go either way. I guess it would depend what I wanted the edge to look like.

Edit >>>>>One thing I should have said is: I use the Tormek for a lot of things around the house. Wood working tools, knives, scissors, lathe tooling, drill bits and the list goes on. I guess what I am trying to say, I get my money’s worth out of it. I’m not sure I would buy one to sharpen only knives.
 
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To answer your question directly, you can sharpen a 15" bladed on the Tormek or Grizzly, and you can set up a jig to give to the same angle each time and also help make a uniform edge grind. With the wet grind you can finish the edge and hone to razor sharp pretty quickly and safely. BTW I run mine backward, that is work from the back side of the machine so the stone is not pushing into the edge, they work both ways I am just more comfortable this way.
 
I just got my T-7 a week ago and there is a learning curve with it like all machines. So far, though, it seems to do what it advertises that it will.
 
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