I shaved off my 8k for almost a full year before i got any kind of finisher. You really want to get to know your blade and hone and how they work together to get the best edge. To really see what was going on there were 2 things i have found invaluable; a jewelers loop and the marker test. between the two of those you can learn a lot about what is happening or not happening at the edge.
Another thing is to remember that especially on older razors the bevel does not have to look good as long as the edge is where it needs to be.