So I talked to the WE folks on the phone yesterday. It seems that they are about to start sending out the Pro Packs and upgrades to folks who have been waiting for all the little improvements that have been delaying them. I expect that there will be a lot of folks who have put off making the purchase to see what was rolling out and if it is as good as what has been anticipated and discussed.

I must be away for a bit so I asked WE to hold my Pro Pack 2 for me for an additional week before sending it. In the mean time, I must say, I am very anxious to see it.

For those of you who are or will soon be receiving your new or upgraded WEP system, it would be great if you could rip off an unboxing experience using your new iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy or what every you use to make videos or photos and post them here or on YouTube with a link, that would be outstanding.

I expect that once these new systems start arriving, there will be both good and bad experiences. Let's start some discussion of the good and bad experiences so we can either mutually enjoy our new stuff or if there is a problem that emerges, we can get it resolved together.

Thanks for participating.

Great idea!

I love the idea. Hopefully there won't be too many bad experiences! Still, that's how we learn and hopefully everyone knows that if there is a problem, we will make it right.

I fully intend on documenting my experience with WE on film and uploading it to Youtube. I don't have much experience editing video; audio is my gig. I can try though

I was too excited to get my WE kit that I never even thought of doing an unboxing and setup video. That's a cool idea, I'm sure someone will take it and run! I hope to see some great experiences like mine, and hopefully add those snazzy ball joint arms to my kit soon too

So my UPS truck finally arrived, but not until about 6 PM on Friday. Wouldn't you know it, just as we were about to sit down to dinner. Well, it came in two boxes, both of which were filled with smaller boxes and plastic containers and lots and lots of packing material. So I couldn't really get into unboxing it entirely and putting it together until after dinner and clean up. So, it's now Saturday morning and I can take a few moments to give you some first impressions that may be interesting and helpful to some. I won't have time right now to use it because I need to go to the store to get some feet for it first, so this is just a first impression.

WE did a very nice job of packing I must say and there is packing paper and boxes everywhere in my living room at the moment. Looks a bit like Christmas morning. My first impressions are that this system is very well thought out on most levels and impressive in fit and finish. I really like the weight and feel of the stones and strops. Very nice. Everything I ordered except for the curved stones which I was told were on back order was delivered and intact. That's the good.

So was it all good, well no such luck. A couple of issues, easily fixed but inconvenient have emerged. First, I upgraded to a black a granite base when I ordered, which I was assured was in stock and would be available for my order. In fact, Kay told me that she would set one aside for me so that it would be the one that shipped. Well, I was not very happy to see that they sent me a sort of reddish brown granite base, I really hate this color of granite, but that is just me. So I am going to ask that it be replaced with the one I actually purchased. I hate to do that because it is going to be expensive and inconvenient for both me and WE,but I really did not want a red stone and was very specific in my phone order about this detail. I hope that this serves as a lesson to pay closer attention to detail when filling these boxes for shipping. This was a disappointment. Also speaking of the base, There were a couple of other issues. First, the holes are not inset for the screw heads and washers, so they stick out of the holes about an eighth or quarter inch. The problem is that you now need to raise the base evenly on all four corners at least that much so it isn't wobbling like a teeter totter. That means a special trip to the hardware store to get some leveling feet or pads to put under the base before I can use it. I did not see any such feet or pads in the box. A definite problem that should be addressed by WE.

One other observation which I think has already been addressed in other posts but worth mentioning again perhaps for discussion. I purchased a Pro Pack 2 which includes the upgraded ball joint arms and the upgraded sliding bar which arrived and were very nicely finished and seem quite functional. Although I can not use them yet since I have to go to the hardware store to buy something to set the base on so i can not say if they work but I am confident they will. They look really nice.

Which leads me to my sort of complaint. When I unboxed my new WEPS, it included two sets of arms and two sliding bars, the new ones and the old ones (pre ball joint and riser generation). This seems wasteful and an unnecessary expense which must be passed on to me the consumer. I think it is safe to say that I will never have a need for the old bar and arms for any reason. So I paid for something I really did not need or want. At this time, you can not just buy the more expensive ball joint arms alone. Had I bought the first generation and upgraded later, that would be different, but to include both on the initial purchase of the upgraded model seems wasteful.

One other little thing, a bit nit picky but you can decide that for yourself. There were syringes with about a ml of diamond paste drawn up into it. But in each one there is a bubble of air which means that it is less than a milliliter of material and the plunger was not even at the 1 ml mark on at least one. I think there is enough paste to do a lot of stropping, but we are talking about very small amounts, so there needs to be a bit more precision in drawing up the paste either without air bubbles or past the one ml mark if there is air in the tube to at least err on the side of more than less if there is to be error there.

So those are my little quibbles. Having said that, I really like the system. It looks very nice (except the base) and well made and durable. The stones and strops looked very precision made and I really look forward to using them. I can not say much about the usability yet so I will post more later. Hope you are enjoying your unboxing and purchase experience. Despite my small complaints, I am very happy with WE and look forward to hearing your experience.

ScottSherman wrote:


Bummer about the base. Thought I'd mention this... the base does (should) come with four little "feet", so mention this when you contact them.

ScottSherman wrote:


I'll also mention this issue. Since, for now at least, the arms are an upgrade, I think it would bring up a number of issues to simply replace one set of arms for the other... which is why both are included. Keep in mind that we're the minority that want them, the majority buy the stock kit, and it's prepackaged this way. From a dealer standpoint, to try and sell what would be come another "package"... (a basic kit, minus the standard arms with the addition of the upgrade arms), wouldn't save them much if any money, which would translate to little savings to the buyer. To simply eliminate the 1st version, and just use the new arms would be a higher initial cost, that could also be detrimental for business, or at least has to be considered. It may seem wasteful to the end user, but I think there's a bit more to it, then just removing the original arms and taking a couple bucks off.

Hopefully, you'll soon be on your way to sharp knives! Keep us posted!

cbwx34 wrote:


That's a brave statement, I'm guessing the majority "want" the ball joint arms.
Perhaps most simply can't afford them?

Considering the ball joint arms were included with the system that won the 2012 accessory of the year.
www.wickededgeusa.com/index.php?option=c...t-news&Itemid=62

This is where a lot of the increased demand and attention is coming from.

If I was Clay I would love to be able to afford to throw "all" the old arms in the bin.
But economics wont allow this and I'm sure there are too many still in supply.

I think I'm going with Chris here. Progress = change and I think the knife collecting community are pretty OCD and for better or worse a bit more critical than the general population. Whether it costs more or not to put "extra" arms and rails in the package, the perception will be almost impossible to change. I think Clay is going to eventually have to change his packaging to include one or the other set of arms / rail. Why put off the inevitable. I look at these things and wonder who exactly is paying for them. I want WE to be profitable so that they will be there for me when I need (read want) them. I don't even mind paying premium prices when I could do what I need for a tiny fraction of what this system costs with another sharpener if I think I am getting outstanding product and customer service. So far I do, but premium prices also give me license to be more critical and scrutinize the products I am paying for. Money is not just paper, I had to work very hard to get what I am giving to Clay for these things.

I agree with both of you... that's why I said "for now".