I ended up purchasing a king 1000 grit stone online for cheap. I couldn't find the Naniwa traditional stone for a reasonable price. The shipping to Canada was way more than the cost of the stone. It looks like some people like the king stone. If it doesn't work out for me I'll invest in a better hone. I guess this is how the HAD begins. At least I will have you guys as my support group.

Cheers