India Stone

So, what's the deal with India Stones (such as the Norton IB6 and IB8)? They seem to be a lot cheaper than the whetstones; question is, will they maintain a good edge or are they merely a restorative tool because they're coarser?

Newbie questions, I've got a million of 'em.

They are perfectly good sharpening hones, but they are too coarse for most razor related applications.

For setting a bevel you could get by with one, but anything more than that would be better suited to a water stone.

A nice Coticule bout (odd shaped stone) would give you everything you need to maintain a razor, short of working out chips etc. One of my favorite Coticules is 1.5"x4.5", smaller stones are perfectly acceptable for general use if your on a budget.

Or a barber hone, most people are familiar with the Swaty hone, they can be had for reasonable prices on ebay.