Overhoning Pics?

I know there are microscope pictures showing the sharpness of a straight after different steps in the honing process, but I have yet to see what an overhoned edge looks like under 60x or 100x. Anybody know of such pictures? Just curious.

You can't really see overhoning at those magnifications, unless the wire edge is beginning to separate. What I'm looking for with the microscope is making sure the bevel is clean and fully formed, and that there are no nicks or irregularities along the edge.

Oddly enough, you can see some types of overhoning with the naked eye using the reflections from a bright incandescent lamp. By running your nail underneath the edge and flexing it and watching the reflections, you can see an overhoned edge from the reflection patterns. Sometimes you see a kind of a dotted line along the fin, sometimes the fin bends and doesn't recover so you see the reflection off the fin even after your fingernail moves past it along the edge.

thanks for the info...appreciate it!

here's something that might help

The problem is you can get something nearly identical-looking from a bevel that isn't fully formed.

A wire edge is something I've never been able to pick out with my Radioshack microscope. I actually have better luck just looking at the edge with the unaided eye under strong incandescent lighting. (I have good eyesight, so this might not be an option for everyone.)

I turn the blade this way and that, and if I can see a little bright line along the edge it means I still have work to do.

Josh

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Originally Posted by mparker762

The problem is you can get something nearly identical-looking from a bevel that isn't fully formed.

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Does this really matter though? A wire edge has to be honed out anyway, right?:shrug:

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Originally Posted by 19george

Does this really matter though? A wire edge has to be honed out anyway, right?:shrug:

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You're right, but a wire edge might need a different honing approach than a half-formed bevel.

A wire edge is probably very close to being shave-ready, although you need to take a step backwards first.

A double bevel or half-formed bevel might still need significant work on a 4K or coarser stone.

Josh