Not to offend anyone, but magnification impeded my growth into honing, by making me focus too much on "scratch patterns" and not enough on the technique of honing with consistent pressure and direction. Worse, I never really have understood what I'm looking for!

It created a worry for me, much like the thumb pad test or hanging hair test, which really mean nothing and can hurt a good edge.

I've moved to hone...shave....see whaat it feels like, hone a little more or differently. I understand the science, but I think it is equally art and feel, and for me magnification gets in the way of feeling the edge with my face.