This blog post captures updates regarding the retrofit for the tormek knife jig I design and manufacture.
Oct. 25, 2025
Version 3 is here (CURRENTLY SHIPPING)! I manufactured 100 sets and am already down to less than 70 due to back orders... there are some great improvements:
Video overview
- Offset lower jaw by 1.5 mm, while this is great and works REALLY well for even bevels on most knives (~3mm thickness) we neglected to adjust the angle slightly to maintain a perfect fit in the jaw slot, next version we'll correct that - no performance impact though.
- Manufactured grove for o-ring.
- Added a 6mm machined nut at the end of the shaft to allow tightening.
- The knob now has a thumb cup - as requested by several customers.
- A few customers have complained about play even with the o-ring - I now have a solution add a locking nut behind the knob to secure the position and remove any play - this works REALLY well - v4 will have a pretty version, for now I'm including an M8 1.5 nut, and have a couple of other temporary solutions I'll be shipping once they arrive. Here's a video that shows this solution.
May 09, 2025
- All retrofits currently ship with the friction ring mod.
- For v. 3 I am trying to identify a new manufacturer - no success yet, finding a short-run, high quality, affordable, manufacturer in the US is nearly impossible - unfortunately, current tariffs will make this product unaffordable based on my current relationships. I have roughly 25 v. 2 left to sell.
Feb. 05, 2025
A few customers have expressed concern about the free spinning knob. I understand the concern and have come up with a solution. I'm milling a groove in the shaft and have identified an o-ring that fits perfectly to add friction so the knob will not free-spin. I'm very pleased with how this is working and all new orders will ship with this enhancement; which I believe is a significant step forward.
V3 Updates (Fall 2025)
I've also been working with my engineer on the design for a few other enhancements for V3 of the jig:
1. Adding the grove for the friction gasket to the shaft (so I don't have to machine it post-produciton)
2. Adding a cutout for a thumb slot to the knob (customer request)
3. Adding a nut end to the shaft so it can be tightened with a wrench.
4. Bumping the lower jaw away from the axis to reduce centering issue, a 3mm thick blade will be perfectly centered.
V2 Updates (Spring 2025)
I have a production run (50 sets) of V2 that has two major enhancements:
1. Added a slot to the jaw attachment to allow it to spread into the available space in the jaw of the jig when the screw is tightened, this guarantees a tight fit regardless of any variation in Tormek's manufacturing process (which some customers have reported).
2. Made the width of the stem consistent to allow consistent positioning on the tool-rest on smaller knives.
3. The threads extend further down the shaft by 10mm allowing for even larger knives to be accommodated without changes to the tool-rest height, now works with blades from 1/2 inch up to about 3.5 inches (most kitchen knives).
Version 1 is the original design, version 2 is currently for sale.
Setup Tips
- Use lock-tite (blue or red) on the threads for the shaft and jaw assembly.
- It is not recommended to remove the jaw pieces after installation they are made to form to the jaw and it can be difficult to remove them without bending them.
- A drop of oil on the friction ring will make it smooth as butter...
- I ship an extra o-ring in the bag - don't lose it, it's a very specific ring.
- Assembly Video: