Tormek’s new T7 is the most recent in a type of widely acclaimed sharpening systems. The grinder is well made and will need years of hard use. The device comes with a squaring jig, this holds your blades automatically squared to the grinding wheel. Chisels and plane blades are attached using their backs flat against a large reference surface, this then prevents rocking or tipping once the jig is tightened down. Included with the system is Tormek’s new truing and dressing Tool TT-50.

The TT-50 is Tormek’s latest stone truing tool and can make finding a flat parallel surface an easy and quick task. The truing and dressing tool comes in the T7 vijayalakshmi grinder  sharpening system and if like me you’ve an early on Tormek system you may also use the TT-50 on the existing Universal Support, but creating the cut is more difficult. However Tormek advise you to retrofit the most recent Universal Support with Micro Adjust.

The Tormek T7 system features a slow running speed which will provide you with full control over your blades which are being ground. The reduced running speed and heavy wheel also reduces noise and vibration, giving a simpler grind and so a sharper blade.

Because the grinding and sharpening system utilizes water cooling (wet grinding – the grinding wheel rotates in a tray of water), there is no risk of overheating or burning the edges of your blades and drawing the temper from them. Honing and polishing is carried from another leather honing wheel. The leather honing wheel must be lubricated with a grinding paste.

The T7 sharpening system is not cheap, except for the professional woodworker the time savings over the life span of the item can make it more than worth while to possess, for the amateur woodworker maybe it’s overkill, but if you have the amount of money it’s a really nice piece of kit, and should last you for years reliving hours and hours of tedious sharpening.