I'm amused at how often this question comes up, and still always gets a boatload of responses. People do love to talk about their grinders.
I'm using inexpensive grinders at the moment. I have a 1x30, 4x36, a 6 inch disk sander and a 6 inch bench grinder. Add up my total investment and you still don't approach the cost of a 2 x 72 grinder of any stripe. But the thing is, as someone said before, each grinder serves a purpose. Adding more grinders just gives you more flexibility.
Don't get too hung up on looking for the one tool that does everything. Instead think about the specific problems you're trying to solve and consider what tool(s) are best adapted to that purpose. Maybe one is all you need, or maybe you need different tools for handles versus blades. Much depends on what you're trying to accomplish and the constraints of your workspace.
If you're really new to the hobby, you won't necessarily know what problems you're trying to solve because you haven't encountered them yet. But think about this... if you buy a huge 2 x 72 and you have a small workspace, where are you going to put any other tools you discover that you need?
Each person's needs are unique. There is no one right answer for all knifemakers. If there was, all the other products would disappear from the market and everyone would sing the praise of the one product. I don't have room for a 2 x 72 in my garage, and it isn't portable enough (since I'm forced to do most of my grinding outside, due to dust problems).
Like I said, you need to consider what problems you're going to face before making a major investment in a tool. It isn't all about working like a pro.
- Greg
