Larry Williams
Actually Warren, I still have around 12 block plane irons I bought around 1981. Their package includes Stanley's sharpening instructions which discusses the wire edge. Photo below.

The first issue of Fine Woodworking (1975) has an article about bench stones that covers the wire edge but it's called a burr here.

Stanley's book How to Work with Tools and Wood, my copy is the 1971 edition, discusses the wire edge in the sharpening information.

Charles Hayward's Cabinet Making for Beginners, mine is the 1955 edition, goes into detail about creating and removing the wire edge. Hayward's great strength is that he wrote about traditional trade practices.

The concept of creating and removing a wire edge may be new to you, Warren, but it was trade practice.