Should you push or pull when sharpening a knife?

Edge trailing, or edge leading? While you’re doing your initial sharpening at coarser grits, I don’t think it really matters, you’re just trying to grind away material to form a fresh apex. Ultimately I think edge trailing has a slight advantage for a few reasons. The first is that if you’re still learning how to hand sharpen you’re not going to gouge your knife into the stone. Second, edge trailing has been shown to create a finer apex. For most folks, the difference is minimal, but if you’re going for the absolute best results edge trailing is the way to go. Third, you have to use edge trailing strokes if you’re stropping, so you might as well build up that muscle memory during your sharpening. The one main downside to edge trailing is that it tends to create a more prominent burr, so just be aware of that and make sure you properly deburr for a sharp and long-lasting edge. Which method do you prefer, and why?