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Hey...does anybody out there use a microscope (Radioshack 60x-100x $10) when honing? I know this is not a necessary piece of equipment, but how helpful is it to have? It is cheap enough, but what exactly would I do with it, what are you looking for specifically, and is it even worth it? Just b/c it's cheap doesn't mean I have to buy it - but if it might help with honing to a shave-ready edge, I will strongly consider the investment.
I use a microscope to judge progress and to find out what is wrong if there is a problem. I also use the reflection of the light on the edge, and the way it undercuts the water, but especially on hollow grounds I find it useful because the bevels are so narrow.
Using a microscope means you are not working blind anymore.
But I use one from work. A high quality Olympus that can do x50, x100, x400 and x1000. The highest I use is x400.
At 100 you can see microchipping and burring, and the grinding patterns of the stones. If an edge is smooth at x400, I can be confident that it is shave ready
I use a 30X microscope and it tells me everything I need to know about the bevel. It tells me if the edge has nicks/chips. It tells me if the bevel is being formed. If the color of the bevel is uniform for the width and length of the edge then the bevel is probably formed. If there are two colors/textures then the razor needs more honing because I am dealing with two different angles.