Tormek alternatives for wood carving?

[Andrew Hughes]

I use my Tormek to sharpen my carving gouges and v gouges.
I've been using a Tormek for quite awhile so long in fact I've completely worn out my first machine.
It takes time and patience and the Machine will reward.

I would like to add to my post something I thought of. A new set of chisels that cut well can be kept sharp by just buffing by machine or by hand.
What makes a Tormek have a edge over other systems is when a v gouge or u gets a nick. Or maybe the edges get too blunt from buffer.
Tormek has two jig that one can use to follow the factory angles. Once those angle are lost good luck especially on smallest gouges.
I hollow grind then stone taking advantage of the hollow just like a plane blade then use my buffer to maintain a edge that cuts.

[roger wiegand]

Just a very beginning carver here, so I do what my teacher tells me to do-- which is honing freehand on a leather wheel charged with a green buffing compound. He has a grinder that he will use to reshape a new or found tool on rare occasions and some shaped MDF wheels charged with the same compound for slightly more aggressive honing and maintaining angles. In the five years that I've been learning I haven't yet had need of anything other than the honing wheel. My teacher has tools that he's used daily for decades that he says have never seen a grinder.

[Andrew Hughes]

Roger that sounds like a good teacher. My first carving teacher John was very much the same. He used stones and a strop. Someday I’m going to try the green rouge I use red.
If your interested I just happened to post a simple mouse carving that can be done with a knife. Let me know if you have already seen it before. I’m not sure.
Good Luck