I've used My Tormek for 12 years and 53,000 knives. This video compares my Tormek to a new WEN cheap knockoff wet grinder. At the end I'll sharpen a knife and tell you my final opinion.
Nice video 👍 . Bought a Tormek 2000 in 2007 and am very pleased ! Just bought a Wen for $108 Wal-Mart online & a Wen accessory kit for $50 at Home Depot online ( small & large knife jigs , scissor jig & an axe jig . Jigs are near identical to Tormek jigs and do exact job 👍 ) I can sharpen just as well with the Wen . I am going to watch the rest of your sharpening videos to see if I can improve at honing ... I can get a knife to " tree top " once in a great while 😞
Recently, got into turning. And I picked up the Wen. When I was a teen, living with my uncle. He’d often say “When in doubt, sharpen. Feeling off? Sharpen.” And this has served me well thus far. Granted, he taught me how to do it by hand, and this is my first system. So im still getting a feel for it, and I don’t really have much to compare it to. But thanks for the video. For how often you(at least I) sharpen, I was kinda kicking myself for not finding a way to splurge on something more. But really appreciated this breakdown.
Heck yeah sir. I have the WEN as well. It's been a great system for me sharpening my custom knives. I really like your remarks. Very insightful. I'm going to need to try some free-hand sharpening on mine.
I'm really pleased with this! It works like a charm ru-vid.comUgkxDcr-y2Pf6xdnrFHrSP7dl9kpKaCozcSQ Takes less time than my old electric sharpener because it can take more off the knife faster, and then it smooths out nicely with the finer grit polisher. I don't know how long it will last before the grit wears away, but I wouldn't mind having to replace it every once in a while.
Bought a Wen drywall sander about a year ago. I was so impressed I figured I'd try out one of their brad nailers. Happy with it as well. Neither are perfect, but both are capable. Thanks for the review.
I used to take my puma white hunter to a guy that had a "band sharpener". The only time it was razor sharp straight from the knife sharpener man. Its been razor sharp lots sitting honing in front of the winter fire by me. Then i found the knife sharpenning man. I have sharpeners for knives and chainsaws and drills and most cutting tools but never got it as good as he did unless i sat and honed the edge
I never owned a Tormek so can't compare them. I got the Wen three months ago and it's been really nice to use. So nice that I now bought the Wen Planer with spiral cutters and that is a real dream, and both at a very reasonable price. I'm so impressed that I'm going to get their top of the line bench drill press next. The quality is quite a lot better than other Chinese manufacturers. I'd highly recommend their tools.
I agree. Now tormek is nicer quality. A few better features. But I can buy a wen for a lot less than a replacement standard stone from tormek. Also wen has great support. The phone number is in the unit. If you need parts they are extremely cheap. The tormek also needs replacement parts from time to time. But a pair of plastic bushings cost what a $35 replacement stone costs. Tormek stones cost $200 now. I now have two wens running. One with sg250 the other with sj250.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER Thanks, I didn't know about the parts. It was the price that got me to buy the Wen. If not for the Wen I'd have just continued to use stones. I've just also bought a couple of Shapton glass stones, 6000 & 16000 and a Trend Diamond with 300 & 1000 sides. Expensive, but really a good set. Think I may try using the Diamond Trend to resurface the Wen stone from time to time.
@@andydepaule3296 when you use diamond plate to flatten or change grit remember the material that holds the diamond on will wear away so don’t grab an expensive one but instead look at harbor freight’s brand
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER After spending over $200 on the fine glass stones I want the best diamond stone I can afford to keep them surfaced flat. I already got the Trend Diamond for about $100 to do the job. I do use Harbor Freight for things that I will only use now and then, but not when I need high quality. I'm getting fairly good edges with the Wen, but not as sharp as with the glass stones from Japan.
And if you ever do just toss it and buy new. its way cheaper than just a replacement stone on Tormek. I'm now running two, sg 250 on one and sj250 on the other. my former needed parts and had bad rust body. I moved the tool rest mounts to my wens so trueing and chisel jig works better than wens.
Hello P G, Your videos are a great help and inspiration. I own a Tormek T8 and T4. I just today received my WEN BG2470 which is the model I believe you are highlighting here. I went to true up the WEN stone with my Tormek TT50 and it does not engage with the vertical portion of the WEN universal support bar. I am wondering if your trueing tool is the new style Tormek TT50? Have you successfully trued your WEN stone with the TT50? An alternate use for this WEN is for felt wheel or coarse grinding wheel (CBN or diamond). Keep up the good work and thank you for your generosity in making these videos. John
I moved my sj250 from wen to tormek to true cuz I did not have the wen support with me. Finally I brought it and I had the same problem. I clamped the tormek jig where it needs to be and it held. Others have committed on wen selling a (4?) jig set that look just like tormeks with Better fit for wen for cheap. Have you looked at these. Working on the flat side would hav a great advantage. And rotating faster would be great too. But these are in Japan only (220v) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-lf1H_KqyYkc.html
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER I have seen the set of four jigs you mention but none of them is a truing tool. I will have to figure out some way of holding the TT50 on the WEN as I true its stone. Thanks again. I look forward to another video from you. John
It looks like you prefer to move from left to right. So could you swap sides with the wheels,or is the water container stationary? An if so; I know it could be a nuisance,but perhaps turning the sharpener around so the strop is on your left side especially since it has forward,and reverse. Don't know if it would help,or even make a difference; it's just a thought. 😎👍 Thanks for the video, because I was about to buy a work Sharp 3000,but now I may look into this WEN a little more. I'd like to have something to help me sharpen my plane irons,and chisels a little quicker an with more accuracy.
Thanks. The next video is on your idea. The Arborio mount the stone is unique on each side but turning and reverses gets gives freedom to do what works best. The work sharp , at least the early model is just to limited and for me the belts go too slack. I like to push hard. It’s faster. And you need adjustment to tighten belts. I use a belt sander for several items too. That information will be in next few videos. SUBSCRIBE! I’m almost at my goal. Thx
Something else to think about--according to a couple of inflation calculation tools on the web, $600 in 2010 is worth something like $720-$760 today. So if you are considering the cost to performance of the Wen tool, you can almost consider the additional cost of a quality grading stone to be "covered" by inflation alone in this scenario
When you use the strop on that machine flip it around and reverse the motor then the grinding stone won't be in your way that's most likely why it has a reverse on it.
Join the “smarter than me club”. I show this in my “update”. Your the 3 rd to point the technique out. I learned on my Tormek with out reverse and just added a tool that is faster than the strop. I got the model with reverse for other reasons and missed the real one.
Is there a lower bound to the wheel diameter? I feel like when you wear the stone down, eventually the body of the grinder may start to get in the way. Do you end up wasting the last third of the stone?
That’s the money maker for Tormek. I get mine down to 8” and it’s becomes a pain. That’s 1/2 way. For chisel etc it isn’t a problem. I use 3 stones per year. Now that I have the Wen stone I’ll put it on next time I need one. I had to grind the middle to thin it at the arbor but. It costs far less than tormek stones by 1/3 the cost.
I turn mine sideways. I like belts to be horizontal not vertical. Your muscle memory when going to finishing wheels is more similar. I have a video coming up next to reverse a bench grinder in 3 minutes. SUBSCRIBE not to miss any
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER How's the longevity of the WEN stone compared to the SG? Also, I just got the rough diamond wheel, first day, but so far so good. Want to see the longevity of it, as I do 20-50 knives a day, so will be interesting...
It actually changes the grit. Or more actually it knocks off the high spots and fills the valley creating what acts like finer grit. At least that’s how I understand it. Tormek says their stone is 220ish and 1000 when you use their stone.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER OK thank you. I have been a KME user for a while now. I have always admited the speed and ability of the tormec for larger knives and kitchen knives as well. Im getting into woodworking lately and I've seen a few people using the Wen for chisels and planer blades. This Wen may be my option for larger knives and my woodworking edges as well. Thank you for the great video and even more thanks for taking your time to get back to me about my question.
I bought this after watching your video a year ago. So thank you. I have a couple of questions... are the tormek stones compatible with the Wen? Also which stones are best to sharpen chef knives? I have the standard wen stone. Do you think its ideal to get a 220 grit and an extra fine 1200 grit to get a smooth finish?
I use the sg250 graded to course. Then I put on a second wen the sj250. This is shown in the videos. That said I’m sharpening other peoples knives that generally are in bad shape.
Awsome video👌i got a question, What is that stone you used on the grinding wheel to make it smoother? I have a similar sharpening system and can't find any smoother stones .
Last one I bought on Amazon Bright star convolute wheel (9sfin) 9 is the hardness, sfine is for the grit. The brand changes as I find them but don’t change the 9sfin
I've found the biggest challenge with the Wen is the support bar. Unlike the Tormek USB, which is machined to perfection, the Wen is difficult to get perfectly aligned. It's a manageable problem, but not easy to overcome. If you're as skilled a PG at free handing, it's not an issue.
I had some of that with the T7 I had. But wen is worse. When I tossed my tormek and purchased a second wen I replaced the wen mounts with the tormek mounts. Useing jigs can you just leave the tool rest on? I found getting it on was the worst part. The fact I can wear the stone down about 1” farther is a big improvement the Wen offers me. Stones last about 3-4 months these days If you want to put a tormek tool rest on I can tell you the easiest way. But it will cost $100 ish.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER Thanks, I might ask you about the details of that workaround at some point. For now, I’m trying to utilize the Wen USB as is, and overcome any shortcomings as best I can. In spite of my few frustrations, the Wen is a tremendous value compared to what I paid for my T7 many years ago, and is worth the trouble considering the savings I’ve enjoyed by not having to purchase another Tormek. Thanks for your assistance and advice!
What is the Arbor size for the wheels? I have an old Jet JSSG-10 but they don't make these anymore and parts come from Ebay. I'm wondering if the Jet, Tormek and WEN have any interchangeable parts. Is there a good discussion group that you might recommend?
Was that an ordinary whet stone that you used to dress the WEN wheel down smoother? couldn't quite get what you were saying.. Thanks for excellent video.
You can sharpen freehand, I'm a beginner and will be using the tool support. One complaint I see on the Wen is the adjustment for the support is very coarse, whereas the Tormek is very fine adjustments. Will the Tormek US-105 work on the Wen? Or do you feel this won't be an issue? Thank you.
No this problem is one of the features where Tormek surpasses wen. Most of Tormeks jigs fit the wen but some not as well as when on the tool rest. so buy what jigs wen sells to save money and get better fit. Trueing jig is one that is better to buy wens though Im still using my Tormek version. I bought mine on amazon and you can return it if its not working for you. Just check the listing. P.S. expect your first knife to suck. but after redoing it it will be better.
Watch my knife in a minute Sharpening video. Exactly what I have going on. Thx for comments. SUBSCRIBE, I have more videos coming out this week. Don’t miss out
Very happy with my excel grinder, identical to wen. Only concern is clickety clackety noise from the bearings, sent it back and replacement is just the same! Any comments?
I was using two wens and the bearings were fine. No weird sounds. The only issue was a slight bend in the axel I caused. I went to order a replacement and they said it was free. Looking at replacement parts they were cheap. At that time it was $15. For the axle. I think Tormeks is $40. Replacing was very easy. Even on my old well used unit. The key was the parts were not to tight of a fit. Subscribe to see my newest wet grinder I’m editing video now. It’s deluxe!
Have you thought of (or tried) putting a CBN wheel on one of these? I know you'd have to take it out of the water, but was curious how well that would work over the standard wheel.
I’ve never tried one. But I’d love to try. It’s a grit commitment though. Which will be a bummer when sharpening chisels. But that’s why Tormek has a quick release but on the t7 and t8
i have a 600 CBN wheel on one side of my slow speed grinder and an 80 on the other. I purchased a bundle of chisels in garage sales, many had bad ships and edged cracked off (probably used as pry bars). The 80 grit CBN made short work of renewing the face of the chisels, the 600.. well I don't really use it too much as it creates a LOT of friction. I go from the 80 grit wheel to my stone. Works Awesome. I had the JET version of these wet grinders and the inner shaft seized to the bushings... had to toss it. For chisels or plane blades I love my CBN wheels. Oh, the 80 grit actually leaves a nice edge, not a really rough edge like you'd think.
I’ve never seen a grinder that can hold 2 stones. I wonder if the can can have water for the heat problem. If not they make a wax you use on cbn to help with heat. It’s kinda like chapstick. You use very little or it won’t cut.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER On the Tormek facebook page, someone is making parts for their machines and is now selling them to the public. One of the tools was an adapter to put a second stone on the machine. He obviously said it worked great, but again he was the one selling the parts.
Thank you for the review. I have a Tomek T8, I bought the japanese stone but it is a nightmare to change the stones constantly. Do you think the Wen would be a Nice solution for the SJ-250 stone? By the way is the stone that comes with the wen good?
The two wet grinder system is exactly for this second stone problem. My tormek died so I replaced it with a second wen. People have been reporting here the prices have doubled for the Wen. I think it’s a supply problem. Call wen and ask if you don’t see them for $150 or less. My second one cost $125 at Home Depot.com I tried the wen stone for one day and it seems slower but I’m going to remount it as soon as my sg250 wears out. I go thru 3 a year. Partly due to the stones getting out of round making it a bouncy tool. See my video on “trueing an out of round stone. “ it removes a lot of stone to true it On my first wen I have sharpened about 10,000 knives.
I've had it about a week now. I've used it to sharpen a few kitchen knives and I'm happy with it. I'll use it in the future to reprofile woodworking tools, but the final finish on the edge does not support fine woodworking. I'll stick to water stones for actual sharpening of my woodworking tools. I'm pretty happy with the overall fit and function for $130.
Did you grade the stone to fine? I get my stone to fine enough to polish out with only slight scratch left. That amount should work well unless your carving very very fine. I carve Tiki idols. Wet palm carves like a radish so I might not need the last 5 % of sharp.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER Yes. Coincidentally, I already owned the Harbor Freight stone you showed in your video. It actually did a great job of regrading the stone. The wheel feels smoother than my Shapton #1000. Don't get me wrong, it put a great edge on my kitchen knives and MUCH more quickly than I can sharpening by hand. I'm incredibly picky about the edges on my tools though. I am used to polishing on a Shapton #8000 and stropping with 1 micron green compound. I do a lot of small-ish jewelry chests in softer woods, like pear, apple, poplar, pine or whatever I can find. Paring end grain in softer woods requires an insanely sharp edge.
Great video and I found it just in time. My Tormek 2000 stone cracked from center to up and I put a big dent in the honing wheel. Question, can I use my Tormek jigs on Wen? They look about the same.
Axle probably rusted and cracked the stone. The tool support is a little different. And you have to use the wen tool rest. I have only used the truing tool and the V grove does not reach the nearest leg. You can clamp it and it works. Why not just buy another stone for your 2000? You can also upgrade the axle to the stainless with the quick lock nut.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER Thanks for quick reply sir, you're awesome. The replacement stone is quite a bit more expensive than whole new Wen. And I cut a chunk out of honing wheel trying to sharpen a knife so will have to replace it too. I need to sharpen my wood turning tools and have jigs for Tormek to do those. So I may have to keep the Tormek or learn to sharpen freehand. Do you have a video on sharpening free hand :)
I think you can with some adjustment. The nearest upright to the stone is farther away on the wen. So the trueing tool can’t be secured as well. You can only hold it with the thumbscrew. But I find it works that way. I’d recommend buying it from an easy to return store in case you want to return it. I’m happy with mine but I only true it once in a while. I’m only running a SJ250 tormek Japanese stone on it. Freehand only. Perhaps consider buying a replacement stone from wen for $40. And change the leather out on the honing wheel. If that’s what’s cut. The wen wheel needs to be reduced around the center hole to fit on the tormek. But a angle grinder can do that in 5 minutes. These stones are not very hard.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER I appreciate the suggestions. I ordered it through Lowes so should be able to return it. Once it gets here, I can see what would work. I'll reply here with what ended up with. Thank you!
@@munawarsoomro6207 buy a wen and use the stone wheel . New models have the same shaft size . The complete Wen is cheaper than the stone wheel from Tormek .
same diameter but leg spacing and finish are different than Tormek. I am now running 2 wen. It lets me use more stone since the drive wheel is replaced with internal gears. 15,000 knives and no problems. but its missing features Tormek has. I do run Tormek stones on my wens. They cut faster.
Hello. May I ask you how smooth WEN spindle rotating by hand? I've got my WEN yesterday and what I found was that I can rotate wheel only in one direction and to rotate it to another direction I have to push it pretty hard. It feels like it is rotating by steps. What do you think or recommend to do in this case? Thanks
PG, I bought the model BG4270 with two direction of rotation. The User Manual says, "rotate the wheel by hand a few turns to check that it is balanced and rotates smoothly".
Ok, I opened my trailer and turned my unit. Much to my surprise it does turn. Easily one way, slightly more effort the other way. Perhaps mine turns easier because it’s been well broken in. It’s weird they ask you to check how it turns. Seems if they have trouble with it turning at the factory they would try it. As far as worrying I wouldn’t. I’ve run over 600 knives they mine with no problems. If your doing your knives that’s more than a 1/2 a lifetime of kitchen knives.
Thank you for your feedback, highly appreciate. I've called customer service and they recommended me run sharpener in one direction for 30min, give it a break and run in another direction for 30min. Try sharpening whatever I want and if I am not satisfied I can return it with no problem and no shipping cost. Good service. PG, one more question. Does Tormek TT-50 truing tool fit to Wen jig support tool? Visually my grinding wheel bounces a bit when it's running. I guess I will need truing it for better results. Thank you.
I let my wheels get out of round enough to hinder things. It turns slow enough that you can put up with a bumpy wheel. Tormek wheels always come true but get out of round if you’re not trueing often. If you do things like chisels you true anyway.
I missed this question about tormek trueing tool WEN told me they didn’t make the tools because “other Brands” have all the tools already. So I’d say yes it fits
Originally they used a blade from japan but now it from someone else. I have had a couple of these and they are ok. Just not as thin as I like. I thinned mine. The handles are very comfortable for me and nice looking. I haven’t used it enough to say they are great or just ok.
There are many ways to sharpen knives. Wet grinder is just one way. It’s the least dusty and the least likely process to over heat knives. It also provides the option of using jigs to help with angle control. But if you need to use the jigs it’s very slow. So tell me more about what you want to be doing. Keeping your knives sharp or start a business?
Drake Doragon no problem. I’ve had many ask this question. I’ll answer it with a video on a cheap sharpening process that teaches you the skills and you can see if it’s something you want to pursue. Subscribe so you don’t miss it
The wen stone is my second choice. Sg250 is my first even though it is 5 times as costly. It cuts faster and speeds my 1st priority. If you’re not under the gun the wen is fine. Avoid jet’s wheels
What is the name of the grading stone you used to smooth the grinding stone wheel❓ The other grading tool that is metal what is it for, there was no explanation given and where can these be purchased❓
The stone is just a hardware store sharpening stone. The one in the video was purchased at Harbor Freight. But you can find it anywhere. Tormek makes a $30 version that lasts a lot longer. The other tool was a stone truer. It flattens your wheel. Also it’s used for when the wheel gets out of round. (Tormeks stone) This is the biggest problem for me. And about 1/3 of the stones I buy go out of round fast. This wastes a lot of stone life. Perhaps 1/2 as long. Not sure if Wens stone does this too. I use 3-4 SG250s a year. Amazon sells both these items.
I used my first one for a couple years before I bought a second to replace my worn out Tormek. It has a 2 year warranty. I bent an arbor and called to order a replacement. They sent it for free even though I said I bent it. And if i had to buy it it was only $11. far less than any part on the tormeks
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER I was just thinking for that price point you could set up a grinder with a separate wheel for each grit if you wanted to and one for each compound if you had a sharpening shop or specialty business
Great video , im really considering on buying a tormek but with this video I really don't know now , I just remember the old saying " buy cheap , cheap results " .... I'm really confused now!!!
I’ve sharpened over 10,000 knives on it. My tormek needed parts and had rust bad on the frame. I decided to buy a second wen instead. That said Tormek is better but the wen lasts and replacement parts are dirt cheap. Axle is only $12. Tormek I think sells their for 50
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER Thank you for your time and effort to trying to help me out on this matter, im going with your suggestion WEN IT IS !!! im buying 2 for the price of one , with diferent disc's I am really looking forward to see more of your work and videos
The model numbers change as they make changes it seems. Just buy what's current. If the prices seem high there is probably a supply problem and the secondary sellers are overcharging. Ive noticed it twice during covid. Today (7/15/23) it's $139 on amazon in the US. I think buying on amazon is buying from WEN. But I could be wrong about this.
I’ve sharpened over 10,000 knives on it and I’ve had no problems. I’ve actually bought a second one my tormek died and these are so cheap I couldn’t pass up going with them instead of another tormek
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER Thanks for the reply. You've pretty much got me sold. One item with I want to sharpen is chipper blades (3 inch edge on a hardened, quarter inch plate steel). As long as I'm not trying to aggressively bear down, it seems the Wen should work. Would it be better to buy multiple grit wheels than to dress one coarse wheel to a finer grit when needed? And what final grit level would be appropriate for a chipper?
@@gregparrott wheels are held on with a lock nut. Change out is not a valid option. You might need a Tormek jig. Some don’t work as well on wen tool rest. But I’d probably clamp it in a jig and freehand it.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER Interesting. Thanks for the reply. I assumed changing wheels was easy. But I imagine that any time a wheel is changed, it might need to be trued as well. I looked at the Tormek, and Yikes! Those are expensive. $800 for the base item, Adding a a few accessories jumps it to ~$1400 to $2000
@@gregparrott you can regrade the wheel from 250 grit to 1000g pretty easily. I sharpen mandolin blades freehand. They are a smaller version of what you have I think.
Yes. It’s fast and dust free but I’m sure lansky works well but slower. The work sharp I tried was for novice sharpener. Perhaps they have improved but it’s probably still low production rate. I just need a process that can sharpen a very dull knife in 1-2 minutes.
Your issue at 4:53 is where the WEN design provides a solution. Just turn the sharpener around and reverse the direction, then you can strop the other side of the blade. Yes, not a perfect solution, but still an improvement over the TORMEK
The Tormek is the better machine but costs 4X as much. The wen runs just fine, No breakdowns. that said I still prefer the sg250 over the wens stone. But I am now shooting videos on my updates to my equipment and it includes new wet grinders. If you can wait a couple weeks you can see what I'm switching to. its a big upgrade. Ive been working with the manufacturer on the proper setup for the Re-sharpening business. And it's now working very well. The wheels are wet resin diamond/cbn. And can also run wet belts for heavy removal when thinning.
Dear PG, am starting to love how to sharp my own knifes with Tormek, U would like to try with Wen. Can you suggest me where I can find this type of Wen with best price? I am in Turkey
Sorry no. I don’t know about turkey. It seems like it’s not available in all countries. I found the best price is Amazon and Home Depot. Home Depot is a large chain home improvement store in USA. I use Google to search prices. Search words (Wet grinder sharpener)
These sharpeners (both of em) are supposed to be mounted on a pedestal so you can walk around em, that way you just change the direction and work from the other side.
Yes you can but you have to build the muscle memory to hold the knife backwards for the second side. Turning the Wen around would fix this but all this is slow. And not a real option unless it’s just a couple knives. Tormek sells a swivel base that would help if this is the best solution for you.
p g have you tried using the bottom side of the wheel for the other side? With the sharp edge pointing down. That will allow your dominant hand control. Or on top with the sharpened edge pointing toward you.
After reading I thought it would be yet another angle to learn. Then I started thinking more about how that might work. Looking at my tool I see the base is in the way. But stand by I am finishing up a video with a solution a viewer message me. As well as a new grading stone hack and sharpening tips. Subscribe not to miss out.
The tormek is now $1300 in canada for a base setup. The Wen and similar models are regularly $229 and often on sale under $200. They aren't the same machine as far as drive quality and overall smoothness of operation but the savings is too much too ignore unless your a professional putting it to hard use every day. I could buy a good 2x42 variable speed belt/bench grinder, add a diamond wheel plate/lapping setup to the other side and fully outfit all with belts, diamond discs, leather strop etc for the same or less money. The Tormek is good but it's a very simple machine that uses a plastic drive wheel (model I used as price example) setup. It's arguably cheaper to make than the worm drive setups on the cheaper machines. I've been building machinery as a professional for over 30 years and was never impressed by the cheap rod guide systems used on all their machines.
Hi thank u for this Alex How is the wen doing? I am looking to expand my sharpening tools and that could be a great addition. I love sharp knives and will be using the new machine for knives mainly, what do u think?
My tormek has been retired and replaced with a second wen. The only complaint is the tool rest arm is cheaper quality and some tormek jigs don’t fit perfectly but they do work fine. I’ve gotten several messages about the wens price doubling. I think it’s supplier problems. So if it’s overly expensive call wen and ask what’s up.
Much less expensive but you had to use some Tormek things on it. When you smoothed the stone, how much would that thing cost so if I didn't have a Tormek to borrow from, I would like to know the total cost. Also, the videos I have seen of the Tormek you have a guide so you don't have to guess at the angle of the blade. Does the Wen have a guide? Thanks for the video.
I now own/use 2 Wen grinders. They hold up well. I’ve had no problems and sharpened perhaps 15,000 knives. But Tormek’s jig system and the sg250 stone is better than wens. Wens works but tormek is just a bit better. I don’t use jigs except the stone trueing tool. The wens stone works but doesn’t cut as fast as sg250. The wen drives from internal gears so the tormeks drive wheel doesn’t get in the way of using all the stone as it wears down. That , and cost are why I use wen.
I have found if I grab the grindstone it can spin when on the right rotating away from operator. Perhaps the this was all reversed it would tighten instead of loosen. Like tormeks course threaded thumb nut.
I really want to start learning how to sharpen knifes for a living? Should I get a tormek or this wen machine? Any great tips or websites I can really get start to learning to be a pro? Thanks!
Motaz Hanson. there several ways to get started. The wen has a lot of ability for $144. But what you settle on may be something else. It all depends on what you’re clients are looking for. I started with a Tormek. The other brands didn’t exist back then. After sharpening for a year I had several other tools that all can sharpen but do it in different ways. So all that said $144 is a bargain to get started. But you will need a few accessories from Tormek. I have a video coming out with a cheap option for one of those must have accessories.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER mainly kitchen knifes. I did some research on the tormek t2. Looks simple enough and is a specialty sharpener. What do you think?
Motaz Hanson. I just looked at it there are a few parts that look pretty good. The angle support is very good. The rubber composite honing wheel is interesting and I see they angled it. A big improvement. But it’s pricey and limited in what it can do. Example- I don’t know what grit the diamond wheel is. If it’s 400 grit you will hate it when very dull knife come your way. If a knife needs to be thinned it can’t do it. But either can the other wet grinders. And the angle holder may be a crutch that will hold you back in the long run. Now remember if you buy it and add other tools if it doesn’t fit the way you sharpen you can probably sell it and only loose $200.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER so then what would you recommend me getting and doing starting out? There's ones on Amazon for 130 bucks called workshop sharpener. Got excellent reviews. It's a leather belt I believe. That's the issue that I am currently facing. I really want to start my own knife sharpening service in the city I'm in. It's literally non exsistant. Would really appreciate any help you can give as you clearly are an expert!
Motaz Hanson no to work sharp. I tried one and it’s a toy. You need to think pro. By pro I mean the tools you need have to be able to work fast. And if you are going to be good you will probably evolve over time and decide to change up your process. What videos of mine have you seen?
I find it hard to jump around with too many change ups. If you flip your knife over after reversing you could get the hang of it. But I’m moving fast and for me I know I’m eventually going to ether not reverse the tool or reverse tool and not the knife. Once you get busy sharpening it’s got to be as simple as possible. My personal record is 500 knives in 8 hr. I had a helper traying up the orders and whipping knives after. Thanks for the question. P.S. the felt wheel I use to strop is far faster than the leather wheel.
Hey man, to strop your knife without hitting your hand simply pull to the left with blade down and motor running forward, then flip the blade up and reverse the motor and pull left
You are right but… I sharpen around a hundred knives a day in a Farmers Market with a lot of distractions. I have found keeping every step constant keeps me from making a bad mistake. I’m talking about placing a blade edge backwards on a high speed wheel running forward. For me, having to work very fast I need to not have one step reversed. I’ve never broken a blade, or been cut. I have once had a knife pulled from my hand. And a couple more where I was able to hang on. But it destroys the wheel by cutting deep into the wheel material.
What has happened to your earlier videos? I'm still learning about keeping knives sharp, and appreciated learning useful things from your presentations.JAH
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER thanks for the info. They are sure proud of the drill sharpener at $293 but I go through alot of bits in a years time so maybe it will pay off in the long run.
Liberty or Death everyone sells Tormek items for the same price. Tormek guards their prices. So if you buy on Amazon and don’t think it’s really worth it returns are easy.
Hello Pete I have been watching your videos for a few days now. Can tell me if the wheels from a Tomak fit on a Wen? I'm a chef by trade not a knife maker and I have all wet stone equipment but I'm not good with it and it takes to long. Please get back to me, thanks Darryl
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER thanks which electric wet knife sharpener comes in second. I'm not trying to pay 800.00 for a sharpener for myself, any suggestions.
I only know Tormek and wen personally but grissly and jet are pretty much the same. There is also a wen duplicate that goes by a diffrent name. I think its grey in color. also Rincon, Bucktool. all these are under $200 usd except Tormek. All these will be fine. I used this search term "wet grinder sharpener" @@darrylking5543
Wens run just fine but the tool rest isn’t as nice as Tormek’s. I now run 2 wens. The Tormek needed some parts replaced at a cost above the wens cost. But since wen costs far less than a replacement stone from tormek it made sense to go with Wen. I’ve heard from other comments the wen prices have doubled. I bet it’s a supply problem and the secondary market is marking them up. You can call wen and ask about it if you find they aren’t well below $150
I’m now running two wens in my business. My tormek had many parts to replace so I retired it. And I’m running a stone comparison test that may take another month to complete. I’ll post it when it’s complete. Here’s the answer to your question. Tormek is definitely better. But it’s not perfect. Wen is very adequate and only costs $149, I’m told. If you are working professionally and want what’s Best Buy tormek. I’m professional and sharpen 100+ knives a day and I’m using two wens. I rarely use the tool rest, and tormek has a better one. It’s all your decision. Ps I use 3 stones per year. Tormeks stone is far more than wen tool Inc a stone, why!
I’ve decided to purchase this unit. Do you have a link so you get some $$ payback. Your videos are very well done. You deserve some payback. 👍🏽 I’m stuck in Mexico so no hurry in getting that link.
G'day pg, Great video. Only wished I'd heard about WEN 3 years ago when I got my Tormek T4. You're right. What is it with these machines and the size and placement of the grinding and stropping wheels? I've got a lot of long chefs’ knives, like with 11" and 12" blades. It's almost impossible to use the T4 as intended with these blades. Seemingly, the same goes for the WEN. Should I just lose the stropping wheel and go back to my leather 'stick and bench strops'? I've got some excellent Kangaroo underside-tail leather strops. It's the best, softest leather I know of. Anyway, pg, I'm glad I discovered your channel. I've subscribed and 'rang the bell'. Cheers, BH Hobart TAS
Thanks so much Bill. As for the strop wheel you can add another polishing wheel and bench grinder to your sharpening setup. Buy a 6” Harbor Freight bench grinder and buy a “Rock Hard” felt wheel and a 1/8 or 1/4” spiral stitch cotton polishing wheel. “Rock hard” is a standard term for hardness of felt wheel. It’s firm not hard. This setup will be a nice addition for replacing the strip wheel and polishing stuff. I use Black Magic polish but white and green work well too. The felt wheel is far faster than strip wheel. To reverse the grinder you can unscrew the bottom plate and the two screws that hold the motor to base. Turn the motor 180 deg and re-assemble.
G'day@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER, Thanks so much for the tips. I honestly didn't think of getting a standard bench grinder; must be going senile ;) In normal times I'd get a Harbor Freight wheel(s) but at the moment US$100 is over $150 in my money. The shipping from the US is now extremely slow but that's easy to understand. I'll get down to my local hardware store and see if I can find a 'Rock Hard' felt wheel for a standard, cheap bench grinder. If I can find a single wheel grinder then there won't be another wheel to get in the way. I'm pretty good at guessing the right bevel for most big knives, machetes and swords. Australia converted from inches to cms a long time ago but I'm an old codger and I still prefer your measurement system. ⅛" and ¼" still feel right and I can envisage how big they are, in millimetres I haven't got a clue. Tormek brought out the T2 not long after I got my T4 but the T2 is way out of my price range now, and besides it still has that pesky double wheel configuration. I'll go with your suggestions. Thanks again. I'll enjoy going back through your videos. This old dog still has some tricks to learn. Cheers, BH
p g A single phase grinder probably uses a start capacitor, so you could rewire the motor to run in reverse by reversing which wire the start capacitor is connected to.
When I true it it’s out of round. You need the truing jig from tormek. If you are referring to grading the stone. I damaged a plate with course grit once. The stone removed some of the plating metal that holds the diamond grit on. I have heard others have not seen this damage from the stone.
No. Wen uses a locknut. Off the shelf from hardware store. Too bad too. It’s one of tormek best features in my opinion. But only matters if you change wheels. And only can work if it is running the same direction as tormek. If tormek could reverse the nut would loosen.
yes it will. but the small yoke that seats on the Tormek’s upright won't reach the WEN's upright. I just give the thumbscrew a snugger twist and its fine.
I tried a ken onion work sharp. I found it very limited in what you can do. The tension was too slack for what I like with no adjustments. and though it technically can sharpen many different tools it’s really not the right tool for most. Plus it’s slow.
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER Thank you for your response. I am new to sharpening but I took the plunge on a Wen. About the same price as the Work Sharp. I think I will need a honing guide since I'm clueless.
This Saturday I’m opening up to sharpen. I’ll try to find a reference point for blade placement for you. I learned on my knives then reinforce that initial success by sharpening my friend’s knives. That’s when I figured it would make a good hobby job.
No. Ive done a couple videos on this subject. Tormek cuts faster than wen and jet. But Tormek sg250 wears unevenly so truing is needed, wasting stone. But for me I need speed. P.S. wen isn't bad and only costs $35 last time I checked. Tormek is around $220.
Correct, I missed that due to my brain was programmed to use a non reversing grinder. I did cover this in the UPDATE. I had several comment as you yours. I was surprised I missed it though!
@@FREEHAND.WETGRINDER yea i figured, I watched ur 100 day follow up video i think it was and pointed that out in that video but i had already posted my reply. Thx for sharing its people like u that help teach people like me, and also help give an informed decision on a product. It is much better than just reading a review by someone that just bought it and looked at it then wrote a review about it without every having time spent using the tool. Hope u have a Happy New Year.
