Reply To: Inquiry: WE130 Pro-Pack III Version 17 vs 18?
Thank you for the advice and great suggestion. I forgot about the USB microscope…
I did a cost analysis to help me sort through what I need/want, and also to give me a reference for comparison to WE130 Pro-Pack III. Here’s what I found.
WE130 Basic Sharpener + aluminum base ($734) comes with:
- 100/200 Grit Diamond Stones Pack ($80 value)
- 400/600 Grit Diamond Stones Pack ($80 value)
In addition, I –NEED– the following (subtotal $255.50):
- Low Angle Adapter ($75)
- Generation-3 Jaws for 1/4″ Thick Blades ($82.50)
- Depth Key ($3)
- 800/1000 Grit Diamond Stones Pack ($95) – To help me transition to the lowest grit ceramic stones
And I –WANT– the following accessories (subtotal $586):
- Super Fine 1200/1600 Grit Ceramic Stones Pack ($99)
- 4/2 Micron Diamond Emulsion and Leather Strops Pack ($66)
- 1/0.5 Micron Diamond Emulsion and Leather Strops Pack ($66)
- Hard Carrying Case ($355) – Geez…pricey much?
And two items I haven’t figured out yet (subtotal $11.50):
- Advanced Alignment Guide ($9) – Does this thing even work well? What’s the material? Plexiglass? Polycarbonate? Borosilicate?
- Vise Key ($2.50) – What does this thing do? A mystery …
Total Cost (w/o AAG, VK): $734 + $255.50 + $586 = $1575.50
The projected cost of a precision digital angle measure + high-quality USB microscope: $150 (approx)
Big investment. I wonder if Wicked Edge offers any seasonal discounts?
P.S. I noticed that Wicked Edge doesn’t have 400/600 grit ceramic stones (the flat ones) included in the basic WE130 system. Is it too much of a jump to go from 400/600 Grit Diamond Stones to directly Super Fine 1200/1600 Grit Ceramic Stones? If I can, that’s $95 less I need to spend.
P.P.S. What kind of leather do these strops use? Want to know if I can strop on these without using any stropping compounds. Some type of leather are supposedly naturally high in silicates…
