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Guidelines shown below are for Included Angles ().
Green wood carving can have a lower included angle () than dry wood carving.
CB's USB Projection Calculator is recommended for calculating setup for Tormek knife jigs. (The simpler Projection Calculator is also still available.)
General Guidelines | |||
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Type | ![]() |
Grind Profile | Notes |
Chip Carving Knife | 20° |
Concave or Slightly Convex | Could be as low as to 15° or 16° included angle, especially on softer woods. The Scandi grind can be "grabby" on the wood when slicing into it. The micro-bevel grind does not cut as cleanly. |
General Carving Knife | 20° |
(see below) | Could be up to 25° included angle. |
Sloyd Knife | 22 - 25° |
(see below) |
Can go smaller or greater, depending on need. The convex grind is preferred by some as it gives a radius from which to adjust the angle of attack. Others say differently. You will need to identify which you prefer.
Some versions of this knife, more common with those which are hand-made, do not have the same angle on each side. This means the Bevel Angle ( ![]() ![]() It is advisable to use a Sharpie marker to ensure you are grinding the same angle as was delivered. Once you have achieved the angle that matches the grind, record it onto a label attached to the knife. This will enable you to repeat the grind easier next time. |
Grind Profiles (exaggerated)
![]() ![]() Click on either image for bigger size. Images courtesy Todd Simpson via Dr. Vadim Kraichuk of KnifeGrinders |
Good videos showing techniques and the use of the Tormek Knife Jigs : SVM-45, SVM-100 (no longer sold), SVM-140, and SVM-00: |
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Edge Geometry by Hewn and Hone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tormek Live Sharpening Class - Part 4 - Carving Knife & Carving Tools
Wolfgang and Sebastian from Tormek go through the sharpening of carving knives and various carving tools such as v-tools, carving gouges and short wood chisels. The commentary that starts at 10:40 about setup of the Tormek SVM-00 Small Knife Holder Jig are excellent. Around 24:00, there is a discussion on sharpening hook knives (with the grind on the outside edge). Sharpening the inside edge must be done by hand, or using the method advocated in The Complete Guide to Sharpening (1996) by Leonard Lee. |
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Tormek Live Sharpening Class - Part 1. Knife sharpening
Wolfgang and Sebastian from Tormek talk about different techniques for knife sharpening. |
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Jeff Farris - Knife Sharpening with Tormek | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Steve Bottorff - Using Tormek Knife Jigs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tormek Knife Jig SVM-45 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tormek Long Knife Jig SVM-140 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tormek Small Knife Holder SVM-00 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tormek AngleMaster WM-200 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Herman Trivilino showing the use of a platform jig | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Knife Grinders showing common Tormek mistakes in knife sharpening | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Knife Grinders showing sharpening of knives with convex curves | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Knife Grinders showing sharpening of knives with concave curves | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Knife Grinders showing how to mounting the pin pivot collar on your knife jig![]() Pin Pivot Jig |
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