Seraphim, I thank you for the magnification pictures you often share on various threads. I certainly think they're useful, but at the same time I also believe that we have to approach those high magnification photo's with great caution.
I don't know much about optics (probably far less than you anyway), but I like using my stereomicroscope, certainly as an aid for honing and assessing razors. But we have to be careful with the optical resolution of these devices.
On a normal optical microscope (the one most of us know out of classrooms) there is a theoretical resolution of 0.2 micron (anything beyond that can't be seen). Above that limit, there is decreasing contrast with increasing magnification, resulting in very hazy, extremely low contrast images when appraching the optical limits of a microscope.
NOW, when it comes to stereomicroscopes, I quote: "Great working distance and depth of field here are important qualities for this type of microscope. Both qualities are inversely correlated with resolution: the higher the resolution (
i.e. the shorter the distance at which two adjacent points can be distinguished as separate), the smaller the depth of field and working distance. A stereo microscope has a useful magnification up to 100×. The resolution is
maximally in the order of an average 10× objective in a compound microscope, and often much lower." (
Optical microscope - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
I think that makes stereomicroscopes fairly useless for observing the effects of anything beyond 1 micron, ruling out Chromium Oxide, the possible abrasiveness of linen, and leather.
About the leather strop... Here's something I've done many times and should be easily repeatable for anyone owning a coticule:
Take a sharp razor that passes the HHT. Do about 10 laps on the coticule with a decent slurry. Witness how the HHT-ability of the razor completely dissapears by this action. Next, get to your strop and do about 50 laps. Try the HHT again. There will be a drastical difference.
I never tried this with the linen, but I will, as soon as I have time tomorrow.
What AFdavis said in the other thread about "understropping" makes a lot of sense to me. Including the linen at least leads to doing more stropping laps for me, so that's maybe why I noticed better longevity of the edges.
Another thing that I've picked up about the linen ( in a Dutch shaving book) is that during stropping, very small, but sharp particles may be knocked of the edge. If it happens on linen, those particles get safely embedded in the fabric of the cloth. If the same happens on leather, they may stick out the surface, doing possible microdamage to the edge. In that sense, the linen prepares the edge for a safe stropping session on the leather. I 'm doubtful about all this, but wanted to share it anyway.
Bart.