Climberslacker, you didn;t confuse me with your link, I just can;t open links very well (especially videos) because I'm on a dinosaur dialup and I'm too much of a cheapskate to upgrade.

If you're really sold on the Japanese waterstones, go for it. Just remember, they depend on water and slurry, as Lukus said, and, while they cut reasonably fast, there are faster and cleaner sharpening systems..... diamonds are at the top of the heap, I think.

If I had to start all over, and were in your shoes, this is what I might try: I'd probably get a couple of Scandi-grind Moras - because I recently found out how good they are for the price! . I'd use them just until they lost their initial fine, crisp edge. Invest in a medium diamond stone and a fine diamond or waterstone. Then I'd make a strop and load it with green compound (chromium oxide). Then I'd practice on those, maybe use a couple of friends different stones, and see what happens.

You could really spend alot of money on waterstones and find they just aren't right for you.....or maybe that they're perfect. Anymore, for me, cleanliness when sharpening means alot, and diamonds are pretty clean.