Originally Posted by
ktkeith
I recall reading - can't remember if it was the Wiki here, or maybe another forum - that paste was denigrated in general, because it rounds the edge to some degree even the first time you use it. The idea was that you should, ideally, simply go straight to the hones when the edge got to the point that stropping was not sufficient; the only alternative was to accept that the edge would be rounded by the paste, and be prepared for a long and highly aggressive honing session when it finally came to it, which would require taking off far too much steel to get the round edge ground back down and so was considered damaging.
What is the consensus? Should you only hone and never paste? Should you mostly hone and rarely paste? Should you regularly strop with paste, then re-hone at longer intervals? Which of these gives the best edge (persistently over time between re-sharpening sessions)? Which gives the greatest net blade wear: frequent light honing of the flat edge, or infrequent but extensive honing of the rounded edge?