Thanks for your replies. I guess there really can be some differences between manufacturers and parts so I will keep that in mind. Yes, I did mean the bearing balls, plus the little cage they are in. The rest of the headset looks fine (to my untrained eye). It was just the cage of the balls in the lower part was deformed somehow and it was a little rough when turning the handlebars. The bike was off craigslist and the headset was a little loose when I got it, so maybe that had something to do with it.

I'll take your advice and bring them to a couple of shops in the morning and see if they can help me out.

Bye