Thread: Loupe/microscioe suggestion

Having worn glasses since age 19, bought scopes, binoculars, and cameras (now cell phone) I've always placed a lot of importance on optics. So, as I have done in the past I recommend the Swiss Axe Triplet Hawk: Swiss Axe : Triplet Hawk
I can't afford one, but someone can. They are recommended for people looking at diamonds so possibly a massive amount of overkill. But loupes don't get any cooler than the SATH. YMMV or it may not.

Thanks for all the guidance. Does it really help out a newbie to see the issues? Just wondering. How do you know what's good or bad?

Originally Posted by Gonzo4str8rzrs

Thanks for all the guidance. Does it really help out a newbie to see the issues? Just wondering. How do you know what's good or bad?

I found that a 200x hand held scope to be very helpful. Others may not. But when I was getting started, it helped me see what was actually happening at the very edge. You can see the quality (or lack of it) much easier with a 200X scope. Also, I could more readily see the difference between one grit and the next with the higher magnification. The one I use was about $20 on Amazon. I highly recommend it. It helped me see if I had done the work needed to move from one lower grit to the next. At lower levels of magnification, I couldn't see much difference between 1k and 4k. To be sure, they are not drastically different. But there IS a difference and you can see it at 200x. Maybe my eyes are poor but I couldn't see it at lower levels of magnification. Plus, if I had gone too far on a high grit stone I could see that too. And when using my Jnat, I can see the polish breaking through the white fog on the bevel edge as I reach the final stages.

I guess it can be interesting to see the bacteria residing on the edge but all you really need is enough quality mag to see the overall condition and see any chips of consequence. I find 10x shows me all I need to see. The old story with optics is quality is king. Usually they up the mag to make up for poor quality.

The 30x lighted is a good loupe but I don’t like the small switch, especially with wet fingers.

I like the Radio Shack 60-100 power lighted scope. They do eat aaa batteries, I just buy them by the box at Costco or Sam’s and when I buy a new one, I buy a couple. Great price at $10 bucks.

Most radio shacks do not stock them any longer, but you can buy them here for ten dollars on line, the 100mm is the old radio shack scope, the 200mm is the new model, still like the 100mm better.

USB scopes are nice especially for before and after pics, but a pain to use when honing, too much time to set up and focus when you want a quick look. You can buy them cheap now, about 40 dollars, make sure the software will work with you OS most use old win 7 or older.