This system takes out the guessing, and turns dull knives of any kind razor sharp every time. The clamping base is mounted to a 1 1/2" thick solid hickory slab. I also milled the bottom out of the wood and added some steel for extra weight, to make for a solid foundation. There are 3 sets of diamond grit paddles included, 100/200 grit coarse, 400/600 grit medium, 800/1000 grit fine.