Cue the Tormek.I looked for a long time at many sharpening machines and systems. I also spent time reading reviews on the various systems and methods out there. I love delta tools, and was about ready to get one of their sharpening centers when I suddenly went into overdrive about Tormek. So I said "what the hell" and bought what was being offered as a Cabinetmakers Package deal. I will never regret the decision.

All I have told my woodworking friends is that if you do not own a Tormek, then you are using dull tools!! Period. This baby can put an edge on a chisel that is truly scary. I have never been able to obtain such an edge and a polish by hand. Now I am confident that there are those of you out there who can and do obtain comparable results by hand, but for me, I'll leave it in the hands of the expert, which in this case is the machine. But a few more jigs...hell...buy them all over time. don't feed the dog for a few weeks, or go to cloth diapers for the kid...just save a few bucks and get to sharpening. I have already saved money by sharpening my own planer and joiner knives several times, and you know how expensive those knives can be, and how active woodworking can eat 'em up.Now these babies are kept sharp and ready.

And lathe tools? My God...it's like a whole new world. I feel like I was using a screwdriver to turn with before I got this tool. It puts such an edge on your lathe turning tools that it is even more of a pleasure to turn, and, naturally, requires less effort.

I am nothing but satisfied with the tool. Pricey, yes. But you are paying for precision, accuracy, repeatability, and results. Just do it.

Worth the money (Rating: 5.00)
Review : There is no doubt that this machine produces the sharpest edges I've ever had on my tools. I got real sick of sharpening the "old" way with bench stones, oil, honing guide, etc... It seems like I spent a lot of time getting things set up and then was only marginally satisfied with the results. The Tormek system is easy to set up, the Angle Master is very ingenious, and the results are perfectly repeatable and extremely quick. I can sharpen a set of seven chisels in the amount of time I used to spend on just one. I use mine for plane irons, chisels, planer and jointer blades, and knives. I don't use it for turning or carving tools so I can't comment on its value in those areas.

Here are the things I like:
- Uses the same stone for grinding and polishing. Sounds too good to be true, but it works.
- The array of jigs available make it possible to sharpen just about anything imaginable. Rather than having a simple tool rest that sharpens everything ok but not great, they've designed a whole system that makes it possible to put a keen edge on every tool you own.
- Water cooled, low RPM. Doesn't create sparks or destroy the temper of the tool. Other water cooled sharpeners are available but not nearly as capable as this one.
- Rock solid construction. Admittedly, this thing isn't very complex but the machine itself and all the jigs are top-notch.
- Outer end of stone is flat so you can lap the back of your chisels and plane irons.
- Makes my kitchen knives unbelievably sharp. Never knew what I was missing before (I like to cook).

What I don't like:
- Generally I prefer a flat-ground edge to a hollow ground edge. There are sharpeners available that will do a flat grinding but overall I'm more than happy to give that up for the results I get with my Tormek
- You really can't get by without the stone grader. Don't know why they don't include it in the base package. Make sure you get one.
- Jigs are expensive. When you get some of these jigs you'll be amazed that they charge so much for it. And unless you don't plan on sharpening anything more than chisels and plane irons, you'll need more jigs. The flip side is that you need only buy the jigs you want.
- Some of the advertised uses seem silly to me. I can hone the edge of a hand scraper with a bench stone in about half the time that it would take to set up the Tormek. And who really needs a razor sharp edge on their axe?

Overall, I'm extremely glad I got the Tormek. I don't like spending time sharpening my tools-I like to spend time using them. The Tormek allows me to get the onerous task of maintenance over and done with so I can move on.

Better Than Expected (Rating: 5.00)
Review : I have had my super grind for a month now and I am 100% satified. I had the Makita wet stone grinder before this and was not very pleased with it, but the Tormek is a pleasant suprise. I have sharpened every thing I can get my hands on, and after the initial learning curve for set up the sharpening goes quickly and easily. My biggest test for the machine was my 12.5" planer blades. My previous sharpener just couldnt do the job, but the Tormek was AWESOME! Highly recommend this machine.

Perfection in sharpening (Rating: 5.00)
Review : This is the best sharpening system available anywhere at any price. It is expensive, but all of the best tools are. The book that comes with the machine looks a bit intimidating at first for a tool with one switch, two wheels, and a guide bar. However, the book is broken down into the separate jigs & attachments. Just match up the jig with the section of the book and all you have to do is read a few pages to get a perfect edge. I do a fair amount of wood turning and I cannot sharpen tools with a stone to save my life. Within 30 minutes of getting this thing home and out of the box, I had a perfect edge on my skew chisel. I even put a curved edge on it to keep it from digging in. I was never even able to put a decent straight edge on it before. No mess, no sparks, no blue edged tools, just sharp tools that cut better than when they were new. I hated paying for it, but there is no equal.

It could be better! (Rating: 3.00)
Review : I also wonder why someone else has not made a knock off at a better price. I have had this machne for 3 years and am on my second stone. I buy and sell antique tools as well as make custom furniture. I have used it to sharpen every thing but my internal gouges. I do not like the dimond dressing attachment. I machined a new jig that would hold the $20 dimond dressing wheel by Delta. It makes for a very flat stone in less time. I have also made jigs that are stiffer that do not flex. I love the fact that I spend so much less time sharpening my tools etc. I sharpened my 13 planer blades. I had to make a longer guide so I could slide the blade all the way accross. Time is money and even at the price they charge I have made my money back many times over with the time saved. Having a small machine shop on the side has made the machine more usable for my needs. This is a wood carvers dream come true. Happy Sharpening