if you are looking into a shapton as i was, then i might suggest the M15 instead of the Pro series. it's made with natural stone material in a clay binder so it's made to feel more like a natural stone (similar to an awase stone i've head) and are also slower cutting than the pro series and form a slurry, unlike the pro series.
theres also the M5 which is similar to the pro series but with less abbrasive so it cuts slower but has the same feeling. it's also half the thickness with some kind of laminate backing...i think it's like a stepping stone to the pro to see if you want to make the leap in price (it's about half the cost)
either the M5, M15 or Pro series can be found on the japan sites (rakuten or yahoo! japan) you'll need a proxy to buy em but they are considerably cheaper this way (if you take your time you can find the pro series for less than the M15 series. The cheapest M15 i found was 5980yen or $49.00 US but there are also the seller fees and shipping)
there is also a kitayama stone that starts at 8000 grit but produces a result similar to 12000 as a slurry is formed and broken down, price is between the M5 and M15 (cheapest i found was 4300yen = $35.00 US (ass on seller fees and shipping)
but you can also get a tried-tested-and-true 6x2 yellow coticule for $74.95 + shipping for Howard...
food for thought
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Eric
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