WEPS vs. Pro Pack 1 vs. Pro Pack II

[Jason Goodrich]

Please help! I recently purchased my first good pocket knife, a large Sebenza 21, and I don’t think I am going to stop anytime soon. At this point, I only have a good pocket knife and a decent set of kitchen knives. I assume I will also be sharpening of few knives from my family and friends. I am trying to decide between the base WEPS, Pro Pack 1, and the Pro Pack II. I know the differences between them but I am not exactly sure what I need. I don’t want to buy the Pro Pack II and not use some of the stones or strops. Should I just buy the base system and order exactly what I need. I am so confused, why does there have to be so many choices… Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Wayne Nicklin]

The Pro Pak 1 is an excellent system. I personally don’t think you would appciate the differences unless you’ve done a couple hundred knives. Make sure you have 800/1000 diamond or my personally favorite the stones. At this point you need to understand the theory of the different acute angles, micro bevels and other considerations. Start off slowly, read the forum notes, share your thoughts. The most important is to ask questions and never feel embarrassed to ask any question. You will make mistakes, we all have, and that’s how you learn.

Mad Ramblings of a West Coast Edge Grinder.

[Todd Peters]

I recently purchased the pro pack I and added the 1200 and 1600 ceramics. I love having the options available to me that the pro pack I provides. I have been experimenting since I received the system and each night I figure something else out. To echo the previous poster make your mistakes (I know I still am) and ask questions of the members of the forum. In my opinion this is one of the best forums I have seen.

[Leo James Mitchell]

Hi Jason
I appreciate your dilemma, but nobody can tell you what is right for you but you.
I have had the plain jane WEPS for over two years and I have some of the sharpest knives you can imagine…but…! After awhile I acquired some Chosera stones and an angle cube and a laser angle checker and the new arms and the degree bar to go with it. Now I have even sharper knives but not by much and all my edges are beautifully polished. I love knives, I have lots of them and I want them to be sharp and to look nice.
So what am I saying. Well I am saying if you are a knife nut like me or fanatical molecule polisher like others here, get the best rig you can afford. If you just want to keep your knives really sharp and to not injure your expensive chef’s knives by taking them to local knife destroyers…er, ah, knife sharpeners, get the basic outfit. You can always add on as your needs and desires change. The one add on that I really love is the new arms and degree bar, so my best advice is get the basic set but ask them to send you the new arms and degree bar. Oh and get an angle cube with haste. These two add ons make good sense for getting accurate, sharp edges with the greatest ease.
In the end, if you can afford it, you won’t go wrong with the ultimate…the Pro Pack II. How strong is you desire and needs?! 😉
Good luck!

Leo

[Scott]

Hi Jason,
I was in the same position as you when I first visited this site. I had a nice set of Shun kitchen knives made by Kershaw Knives and a few little gentlemen’s pocket knives and just wanted to keep them sharp. After all, a knife is only as good as it’s cutting edge in the end. Since then I have acquired a bunch of interesting and expensive blades, which is another topic for another thread.

My answer to your question is, if you just want to tune up your kitchen knives and few pocket knives or friends knives who want want sharp knives that cut well, get the Pro 1. If like me and many others I see, you are obsessive about getting a fine mirror finish and vision yourself as artistic, obsessive and compulsive about it, then get the Pro Pack 2.

One thing I have seen from watching these posts is that you may just want to sharpen your knives to cut an apple when you start, but the mere fact that you are here and reading this and other posts on sharpening, leads me to believe that it will not end there. If you buy the Pro Pack 1, you will almost certainly buy an angle cube to get an even bevel on both sides. Then as long as you are going to that trouble, you’ll just have to get your edge even sharper, so why not add a 1000 grit stone? Pretty soon, your putting the entire collection of stones, strops and accessories in your cart. So you can buy it now or you can buy it later, but you will buy it. Because there is no such thing as sharp enough, right?

Don’t tell me i’m wrong today. Wait a few weeks and tell me i’m wrong. I bet you won’t though. This whole knife collecting and sharpening thing is very addictive and those pretty sharpening stones are just calling out to you like crack to a cocaine addict.

[Todd Peters]

Truer words have not been spoken. I have only had my unit 2 weeks and I see myself adding to my stash of equipment very soon.

The only thing I am waiting for is my skills to catch up with the unit I have now. :blink:

Hi Jason,
I was in the same position as you when I first visited this site. I had a nice set of Shun kitchen knives made by Kershaw Knives and a few little gentlemen’s pocket knives and just wanted to keep them sharp. After all, a knife is only as good as it’s cutting edge in the end. Since then I have acquired a bunch of interesting and expensive blades, which is another topic for another thread.

My answer to your question is, if you just want to tune up your kitchen knives and few pocket knives or friends knives who want want sharp knives that cut well, get the Pro 1. If like me and many others I see, you are obsessive about getting a fine mirror finish and vision yourself as artistic, obsessive and compulsive about it, then get the Pro Pack 2.

One thing I have seen from watching these posts is that you may just want to sharpen your knives to cut an apple when you start, but the mere fact that you are here and reading this and other posts on sharpening, leads me to believe that it will not end there. If you buy the Pro Pack 1, you will almost certainly buy an angle cube to get an even bevel on both sides. Then as long as you are going to that trouble, you’ll just have to get your edge even sharper, so why not add a 1000 grit stone? Pretty soon, your putting the entire collection of stones, strops and accessories in your cart. So you can buy it now or you can buy it later, but you will buy it. Because there is no such thing as sharp enough, right?

Don’t tell me i’m wrong today. Wait a few weeks and tell me i’m wrong. I bet you won’t though. This whole knife collecting and sharpening thing is very addictive and those pretty sharpening stones are just calling out to you like crack to a cocaine addict.

[craftyhack]

You first statement “I recently purchased my first good pocket knife, a large Sebenza 21, and I don’t think I am going to stop anytime soon.” makes me want to agree with the others saying to go ahead and get a bigger kit now. I started collecting while I was in the military, but that was buying from the BX, etc., I had NO CLUE about the vast world of knives to be had. You have just purchased one of the icon blades, and it wasn’t cheap, and you already acknowledge that you are addicted. If you are also interested in fixed knives (other than kitchen knives, I mean hunting knives, tacticals, utility, etc.), then your world of options just doubled, there are some real beauties out there!

Since you are already an admitted new blade crack head, if you can swing it, I would go with the PPII if I were you, otherwise the PPI with the upgraded arms. Mainly because it comes with the more flexible angle system, degree system, and the riser to allow for shallower angles, along with the ceramics, finer micron diamond strops, the digital angle item, etc. Relatively speaking, the cost is about 1.5 times that of the Sebenza, but if you continue to collect knives of that caliber then it will be a relatively small investment relatively speaking with which you can maintain your collection if you continue to collect in that price range or higher, then you will have the best system money can by to maintain or improve your collections aesthetics, not to mention keep those kitchen knives sharp!

And if you happen to know others that need knife sharpening, once you are practiced, you will have enough of the stones and strops to be able to handle quite a few requests… making some of that $ back (that is my plan anyway :)).

P.S. I mean crack head in the nicest way possible and no offense intended to actual crack heads :), aka blade collecting and/or using addict, is there a better more politically correct term for that? I am one myself, I am drawn to things that are well engineered and combine that with the beauty of materials and the science of steels that appeals to my geek side, I cannot be helped :). Ironically, purchasing my Sebenza was what really screwed me, just slowly opening and closing it, admiring the perfection in action and construction, trying to find a flaw and not being able to… hooked :).

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