Lately, I've been doing a lot of reading on hones, and I have read that there are different types of Shapton Pro stones, a set for Japan, and a set for the US (plus the GlassStone series). Supposedly, the US stones were specially formulated for the climate over here. The only thing I haven't been able to find is, what differences in climate are they correcting for? Is the climate outside Japan really that different? If you get the Japanese versions, what kinds of problems might arise?

Another thing that's kind of struck me as weird is that I can't seem to find a source for the US stones except for http://www.shaptonstones.com, though the GlassStones are also available at http://www.lie-nielsen.com/catalog.php?sku=GS-220#. The few other sites that I've found that sell Shaptons only seem to have the Japanese variety. I'm strictly looking for the Pro series, and possibly the GlassStone series. Quite frankly though, the price difference between most of the Pro stones and the GlassStones isn't all that much, except for the 30K, and if I'm going to avail any stones I buy to my father to sharpen his tools, which include things like wood chisels, I think the Pro series would be a better fit! Just out of curiosity, can anyone tell me if the GlassStones come with any kind of case for storage, like the Pro series?

Also, what grit(s) would be recommended? I was thinking maybe a 2k, 4/5K, and an 8k. I know some people don't recommend these for honing razors, some people love them. I'm not honing anything just yet, I'm just looking for information! Any thoughts? Thanks!

Joe