I'm trying to get a Clauss shave ready, and set the bevel at 1K, going on through a standard pyramid with 4K and 8K Nortons, then finishing on a Naniwa SS 12K. I then used .5 Micron diamond spray on wool and, after that, leather for stropping. It cuts arm hair fine, and I'll shave test it tomorrow. When I view the edge under 10X magnification, I see the tiniest little chip, almost indiscernible, in the middle of the blade.

The obvious response would be that the bevel was in fact not completely set. But when I look at that area, the steel just above the edge seems pitted or rough, and it appears possible that the steel itself is not good and that as I hone further into it I'm just revealing inferior steel for whatever reason. Has anyone seen this?