+1 to Glen - once you can consistently get a good edge off an 8K + paste, then you can move onto a higher grit hone and try for a smoother edge from that. If you're after a higher grit hone to move onto once you've got the 8K down, the Chinese 12K is a slow-cutting commonly used stone, available for very cheap ($20 from WoodCraft. You can buy a slurry stone for the C12K from the classifieds here if you want it to cut a bit faster, although this rounds the edge.Other options for polishing hones are the Shapton 16K/30K, the Naniwa 12K, a natural Japanese hone, or a barber hone (available for cheap on EBay, but much smaller than the C12K)