Thread: 12K, Paste or Spray???

Hello Gents,
I've been happily shaving for about a month and a half now and have a couple shave ready razors. I am definitely interested in getting some hones at some point in the future, probably a Norton 220/1K & 4k/8k, but for the moment am weighing possible edge refreshing options and have a few questions. I've read about Chinese 12k being great for finishing after the Norton stones and can be used to refresh an edge in between trips to the stones as well. I've also read about people using CrOX or diamond spray to refresh or finish.
(i) Are these two methods completely interchangeable or simply complementary?
(ii) When I eventually get stones up to 8k could I go directly to paste and/or spray on an SRD modular (for example) or is the 12K (or other finishing stone) a required intermediate step?

I realize this might all be subjective but I figured I could try and learn a bit from the collective experience of the community until I can manage some of my own.

Thanks!