That was kind of why I asked about hardness. Might be a good alternative for people that absolutely balk at the cost of a Naniwa 3/8 or Norton 4/8. The biggest problem with cheap water hones seems to be weak binder that allows for auto slurry and loose particles to wreak havoc on an edge. If these don't do that, are easy to use, and provide an OK shave we'll have an easier time steering folks away from the cheap hones we know won't provide a good result.

The cheapest good option when I was looking to get into razor honing was Norton combination stones at $130, $200 if you'd rather have single grit stones. Fifty for these is a much more reasonable entry fee if you're just looking to get your feet wet and see how you get along with it before really dedicating to a more expensive line.