Thread: Hone - holes, divots, indentations....?

Have seen a couple of razor hones recently and both are patterned with "holes" in the centre.
Have had a quick look through the Hones Wiki and can't find any info on Why? or anything similar.

Sorry if this has been asked and answered somewhere else - I just can't seem to find it.

I guess there must be some functional idea behind them. Just seems strange when everything I read about hones is aiming for flat and lapped.

Thanks to those more knowledgeable than I

They should be flat and lapped, holes or divots aren't contrary to that, as long as they're small enough (I'm pretty certain I can figure out some sort of percolation theorem on how much, if I have to).

Normally holes are for trapping swarf and are very common on lapping plates and fast cutting hones where there can be significant accumulation of that.
I don't know how important this is for a barber hone - you have to always keep in mind that a lot of things were done with the sole purpose of marketing and have no bearing whatsoever on functionality.

the idea as marketed is to avoid a wire edge. exactly how those divots do that i dont know.