Well, enough chromium oxide powder for about 10 years of stropping is $15 or so, there are alumina abrasive based stones just about at every turn, right? Even the house brand stones that are 10k grit and $60 or whatever are some sort of alumina and one would provide a shaver (vs. a razor restorer) a lifetime of honing.

diamond is about $1 a carat on ebay loose.

it's a good time to be sharpening something! Imagine if we were all fighting over natural stones. By now, we'd all be fighting over the carbon steel razors if that were the case.

There is probably some finer inexpensive artificial stone that I'm not remembering, too.