once you have really sharpened up a knife, the final runs along the blade
with a stone or diamond steel or whatever is used will produce a microscopic
* burr* on the other side of the knife blade.

to 'minimize' the burr you end up rubbing as lightly as possible along the
blade. but the fact is that at a microscopic level the last stroke always
leaves a burr.

Now if for instance, if you were holding a pencil in your left hand and
sharpening the pencil by pushing a knife blade in the direction away from
your body; then which would be the side of the knife that should be last
sharpened to best cut into the wood, minimising the effect of the burr?
the uppermost side of the blade as you are holding it in this instance, or
the downside of the blade?

this might seem nitpicking to many, but if you can mentally visualise what a
burr is at a microscopic level then it does have some significance in
maintaining a good edge on a knife. thanks for any advice.