You don't require a microscope here, but a 10X loupe or magnifying glass will help you find out where you are. You have to know what shape your edge and bevel are in in order to make progress, to know what next steps to take. Like I've said elsewhere, sharpening without a loupe is like driving without being able to look through the windshield. Get a loupe, tell us what you are seeing, and we'll tell you what you ought to see and where to go from there.