Thread: Usb magnification (rant)

Originally Posted by 32t

My thoughts also.

You can also make good look terrible if you would want to.

I hear you you all! Smoke and mirrors...... thing is even with all the horizontal, vertical diagonal scratch marks that are visible dependent on light angle. It still was a spectacular shave. Which makes me think unless you can get consistent appropriate light, and consistent blade angle....... the usb game is much ado about nothing...... full of hype

Strops will smooth all that out!

The most important thing is knowing what you are looking for. Once you figure that out you are set.
It reminds me a rotation at the radiology department. Guy asks me, what do you see. I was like - nothing. He said - obvious metastases in the spine based on the equal density.
What one sees the other doesnt.

The problem with cheap USB microscopes is that they provide plenty of magnification, but insufficient resolution to go with the magnification. The first one I purchased was a Plugable scope with 2 MP resolution. It was not very useful.

Then I purchased a Celestron 5 MP scope
https://www.amazon.com/Celestron-Mic...s&sr=1-23&th=1

It provides sufficient resolution. However, when attempting to view the edge of my blades, I found that the plastic ring that protects the lens prevented me from lowering the scope close enough to see what I wanted to see. Thus, I took the scope head to my belt sander and removed the bottom half of the ring. I probably could have done the same thing with a Dremel tool and cut-off wheel.

Celestron had similar scopes on their clearance page recently... might still be there... noticed it when I was trolling for telescope items...

Originally Posted by alex1921

The most important thing is knowing what you are looking for. Once you figure that out you are set.
It reminds me a rotation at the radiology department. Guy asks me, what do you see. I was like - nothing. He said - obvious metastases in the spine based on the equal density.
What one sees the other doesnt.

If it wasn’t for the radiology report I’d be lost...... lol.... thing I’ve noticed viewing many usb photos on the web is that Most overvalue scratch pattern and scratch pattern is often exaggerated with usb scope.

Originally Posted by RayClem

I found that the plastic ring that protects the lens prevented me from lowering the scope close enough to see what I wanted to see. Thus, I took the scope head to my belt sander and removed the bottom half of the ring.

That's funny Ray. As I did the same thing. Where the belt-sander. I can fix this! Mine is the cheapo knock-off of yours. 5mp and the same stand and all. Just doesn't have the name on it. I find it helpful to a point. I feel it did help me to learn and now it's great for checking the first step or two in honing. But after that, it gets turned off. I don't use it to look at a bevel above 4k anymore. No need.

USB scope are especially useful for comparison, taking photos to email/ post or for documentation. But for daily honing they are a pain in the butt.

For honing the best handheld scope I have found is the 60-120 Carson Micro Brite Plus. It is a huge improvement over the old Carson Micromax 60-100 that many of us used years ago.

The old Micromax, ate batteries like a T-rex, had a terrible on off switch, poor focus adjustment and was narrow and difficult to balance on a razor bevel.

The Micro Brite Plus, is LED lit, brighter and easier on batteries, has a larger and smooth focus adjuster, a wider base and easy access push button on off switch. It is a much better handheld scope, quick and easy to use and sells for $10-15.

Also, you can micro adjust the focus by slightly lifting one edge of the scope off the bevel for quick focus.

If you are a new guy learning to hone, you need all the help you can get to try to understand what is happening at the bevel and the edge. And more importantly what your actions are or not doing to your edges.

You cannot compare 200-400x micrographs to what you see through a 10x loupe, no matter how good the glass is.


Too improve your USB photos try, adding or reducing light. A gooseneck LED works great.

Change the background, a white background may be reflecting light back to the lens, I use a piece of flat black craft foam for good contrast at the edge.

Elevate the bevel, remember the bevel angle, the width of the scale, tang and pin will increase the bevel angle even more. Elevate the bevel so it is parallel to the lens.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

USB scope are especially useful for comparison, taking photos to email/ post or for documentation. But for daily honing they are a pain in the butt.

For honing the best handheld scope I have found is the 60-120 Carson Micro Brite Plus. It is a huge improvement over the old Carson Micromax 60-100 that many of us used years ago.

The old Micromax, ate batteries like a T-rex, had a terrible on off switch, poor focus adjustment and was narrow and difficult to balance on a razor bevel.

The Micro Brite Plus, is LED lit, much brighter and easier on batteries, has a much larger and smooth focus adjuster, a wider base and easy access, push button on off switch. It is a much better handheld scope, quick and easy to use and sells for $10-15.

Also, you can micro adjust the focus by slightly lifting one edge of the scope off the bevel for quick focus.

If you are a new guy learning to hone, you need all the help you can get to try to understand, what is happening at the bevel and the edge. And more importantly what your action is or is not doing your edges.

You cannot compare 200-400x micrographs to what you see through a 10x loupe, no matter how good the glass is.


Too improve your USB photos try, adding or reducing light. A gooseneck LED works great.

Change the background, a white background may be reflecting light back to the lens, I use a piece of flat black craft foam for good contrast at the edge.

Elevate the bevel, remember the bevel angle and the with of the scale, tang and pin will increase the bevel angle even more. Elevate the bevel so it is parallel to the lens.

I have the 20-60X and the one above. Using it was using at first, but figured iout how to use it quickly. Best honing $$ ever spent!

It all comes down to resolution over magnification.

The problem is most people have never actually looked through a real quality device whether it's a pair of binoculars or a hand lens or microscope. In using quality optics the device actually disappears and the image is what you see. Many think they have seen good optics but really haven't.

The other issue is what do you need for honing a razor? Yes 300-400 is nice so I guess an SEM at 30,000 might be better. Just think all the detail you can see then. As I recall we do have some SEM images on the site of edges.

The real question is what do you need to see as opposed to what do you want to see?