Thread: Swaty hone

I just got a swaty hone off of ebay and it looks like I made a good buy. There is some chips at the corner of the hone some minor discoloration in parts but that is about it. I am not sure exactly how to proceed from here though. I do not know the coarseness or grit of either side and have never used a stone before. Is there anything I need to know before I hone on this? I noticed a chip on the side with no text. It is on the left edge of the stone halfway down on the long side. What kind of problems may this present and are there any fixes?