Yes, you want to stick with the known grit man-made hones until you figure out how the edge should progress as it gets sharper. 1000-grit level hone is essential if you are going to work on razors without bevel - setting the bevel properly is over 90% of the work. If you do that right the rest is pretty straightforward and quick no matter if you use the norton 4k/8k combo or slurry dilution on coticule.