Quote Originally Posted by Vasilis View Post
Once upon a time (like, until two years ago [emoji14] ) I was thinking the same way, and had 50 different types of stones with the most expensive at 100 euro. Then, I started selling them. I sold many, and with the money I made selling them, bought few. Then I realized that, pretty much, you get what you pay for. Each and every one of those 50 stones didn't hold a candle in front of a good Jnat (some did, but they were rare pieces of rare stones). Or a white TOS I had and still miss, it was one of a kind. Or a quality Charnley, Thuri, WOA. There were a few nice in these 50, but the expensive ones are better than the cheaper ones. And now I have 5-6 stones that I love, regularly use and are expensive.
And another lesson, there is also the matter of the seller. If he has 50 Thuringians or coticules, common sense says, he'll sell his worst pieces first and his best last.
I guess I've been lucky... and I had the time to explore and make the cheap stones do what I needed them to do. [emoji6] All the stones I've tried so far have provided exactly as advertised and more. Even the softer jnats, as long as their grain is fine, can deliver a shave-ready edge. The issue I find important is the speed at which a stone achieves the result. That's a strong and valid selling point, next to the grade of the stone. Personally, I don't really care for the looks that much and boy, do I hate the marketing game around some of these.

Anyway, in the $300-$500 price range, one can surely find an awesome stone to finish a razor. Why pay a thousand, or more? Is the edge really that different? I have no idea, one day I will meet you in person and you'll show me, OK? [emoji6] Then I'll start selling all the stones I have and MAYBE I'll put together enough money for a really special stone.

Still, until that day, if the razor shaves flawlessly, then the stone is good enough for me. I agree some stones are harder to finish on then the others, which is also a valid selling point. This especially plays an important role for the people who, unlike me, you I guess and a bunch of others, don't want/have the time, to explore and play with a bunch rock to figure out what it can and cannot do. That's where "you (hopefully) get what you paid for" comes into play once again. This time it's not so much about the rock itself, but the time, effort, sometimes the nerves, etc...