Hi and welcome.
Which Norton wetstone(s) are you using? It's generally considered OK to do the thumbnail test after using a 4K hone, but after you've gone to 8K the TNT becomes more likely to reduce sharpness.
If you have steady hands you could learn to do the thumbpad test and use it after the 8K stage.
Do you have a strop? 60 laps or so can make the shave go a lot easier.