Originally Posted by
gugi
i'm the furthest thing from an expert on japanese hones, but here's what i think based on what i consider a common sense
you made a mistake.
if you don't have the money to throw away you should not gamble on stuff that you have no idea how it will turn out. i always think that the best way to save money is to pay the extra for the expertise and ensure you are getting what you want.
from your posts it seems that you bid double the ebay seller's opening bid. i recently read a thread where he and his hones were discussed at length and it seems that his opening ebay bids are just the price he wants for that hone without providing any additional tests or guarantees. if you want these extras you have to pay extra and he will take the time to find a hone that matches what you want. but you have to contact him and arrange that. if you just win a hone from him on ebay you are not getting any of these additional services he is willing to provide, regardless of how much you pay.
the hone may be excellent, but i'd be betting that this is less likely than more (given that the seller actually deals in these in bulk and the stuff he thinks is top choice he sets aside, tests and lists for much more money on his website).
so, you just took a big gamble and more likely than not you overpaid for a hone by a factor of two.
I realize that's not something that's going to make you feel good, but that's my honest analysis and I hope that it may be useful to you and anybody else who reads this thread for any future purchasing decisions.