As a barber who requires sharp razors..I use hones for my tools and they'll shave when I'm done l, but only because I already own probably 25 different stones. You don't have to go spend 1000 bucks on a Japanese stone, tools don't necessarily need a full progression all the way to 10,000 grit stones, although my chisels and carving tools get that treatment, and have ultra refined edges. Just make sure if you use a stone it is very flat and not dished. I'll try and make a video sometime of how I sharpen my bonsai tools.
A dmt, Arkansas, or old barber hone should be sufficient for most people's needs.
You'll figure out the quality of your tools in a hurry when you start sharpening them, just a heads up. It is amazing how poor the grinds are on a lot of the tools you buy are once you start removing material.
So long as you maintain the angle, a whetstone isn't so bad. You might want to practice on some cheap Chinese tools first though till you build some muscle memory.
My biggest issue with bonsai tools is that you can't disassemble them with the peened pin assembly so that you can polish the interior portion of their scissors.
