Quote Originally Posted by holli4pirating View Post
My understanding is that, when using a slurry, you are not only cutting on the bevel (which rests against the stone), but also on the edge as you run into the slurry and some is deflected above the edge and some is forced under the edge. The effects may be minimal, but at a finishing level, you'll still notice them. Some like the slight rounding, as it may cause a razor to feel "smoother" while shaving.

To answer the original poster's question, I think that after the 8k you can move to any finisher you like. I believe there is more room to jump at high grits than is typically acknowledge. For example, I go from my Dragon's Tongue (which is estimated at 6-8k) to my Asagi (and Japanese natural finishers are thought to be very high grit) and need less than 70 passes on the Asagi to finish (I'm experimenting with reduced stroke numbers to work my way down).
From Zowada's fantastic website:

Coticle with slurry:


Coticle without slurry:


Check out the site yourself. CH12K looks to give as fine an edge as anything out there (when wielded by Mr. Zowada, anyhow...)