OK Razor's Edge was mentioned in the last sharpening post, but this is kind of a different question, So I thought it merited a second place, Mods, if you want to combine, sorry for the presumption.

There seems to be many schools of sharpening, but one I hear of often, and Razor's Edge seems typical, is of this 'wire edge' and the need to break it down. The idea seems to me to be, sharpen at a steep 10-12 degree angle, and create a very thin edge, and then strop it to 'break the wire' and create the point.

I always was taught to do the opposite, sharpen first to a chisel, 20-25, then carefully with a finer stone sharp 5 degs less, 20-15, using a light tough, hoping for a pyramid on a pyramid, for edge hold. Am I nuts?

I never use a strop, just a stone, and don't want another bit of gear cluttering up my kit, but hope I haven't been doing it wrong this whole time. Sharpening with a small stone is often I think just holding it in the crook of your forefinger, and feeling it in small circles.

What do you all think? oh, thirteenth post, good luck!

T