Thread: The bevel under magnification (pictorial)

Noticed a few ?'s as to what bevels & edges should look like under a loupe / m'scope.
Used a Veho 20-200x m'sope for pics. Can't explain the blue tinge in some pics but might be that some were taken at night.

Well first up, a pretty bevel is not so critical but the edge is I sometimes aim for a cosmetically polished bevel but not always. It seems to be beneficial on stainless razors... Sometimes, but again, not always.

Below is a Dovo stainless that finally shaved well without a Nihonto grade polish tho I did use Jnats to finish.

Main damage at toe is a big chip but also notice the shiny areas. This may well be from heavy stropping but regardless it shows the edge does not reflect light evenly. This is the visual cue that things are not right & is the guide for all stages in the progression. Physical cutting tests of hair or whatever will support what you see but any test can be misleading if done in isolation. I suggest a multi test approach. A glinty edge can still cut hair due to it's raggedness like a serrated knife. Ideally the finished edge must cut with minimal resistance.