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Charlie, Note that I said "taught and practiced." In fairness, I probably should have said taught or practiced. I made no mention of reputable writers like Hayward, who I've already cited in this thread. Of the 6 points I listed, the first three can be confirmed by looking at old stones and...

"Perversion" is probably too strong; I'd call it a historical aberration, or degenerate technique. It gets at an issue that is wider than just sharpening stones. Guys like you and Sellers talk about the techniques you learned in the 1950s as though they were some sort of "normal, universal" way...

It's not an isolated anecdote. Holtzapffel, vol.3 (1850), p.1142, agrees that "even distribution of wear" is important, but then says that stones occasionally need to be flattened. David Denning (1891), p.102, prescribes emery or sand on a level board. There's another reference from the same...

This is simply not correct. The original text of "The Joiner and Cabinetmaker" (1839) refers to workmen being fined for not flattening their stones. Charles Hayward, who learned his craft 100 years ago, warns strenuously about the dangers of not flattening stones, and gives a method (builders...