It may be more cost-effective to just get the Norton. I got the Japanese slipstones b/c I wanted to save money and they did the job, but now I also have a Norton. If you're into honing, chances are you'll buy it eventually. Especially if you're getting and restoring old blades. You want to have a faster cutter. That doesn't mean that the Norton will remove a nick in 2 strokes, but it will work a heck of a lot faster than the Japanese alternatives.