As far as sharp edges go, the difference between 6k and 8k is not that noticeable. A 10k stone will give you a marked improvement in comfort, 12k will be slightly better but may take too long to remove those 6k grit scratches. Check out the "hone review" forum for various finishing stones.

The pasted strop is the "express lane" to very sharp, very comfortable edges. It'll get you up and shaving in no time and let you focus on getting the other aspects of shaving under control without having to worry about perfecting your honing procedure.