Loupe suggestions

K

Kai Winters

Joined
Mar 16, 2012
Messages
939
Hi all,
I'd like some comments on what you use for a loupe or magnifier to look at your edges.
I bought a loupe/magnifier at Radio Shack and it is "meh" at best. You have to have the blade so close to see clearly at 30x that the light becomes a huge factor and without proper light it is practically useless.
I can use my stereo microscope when at work but at home working on a knife edge I'd like a close up view of what I am accomplishing...or not hehehe.
Thanks,
Kai
 
After working on a edge, I can see what I've accomplished by actually cutting something. But that's just me, I guess. :D

As for loupes, it's just like anything else....you get what you pay for. A jewelry-making equipment supplier might be the way to go for a good loupe. Not Radio Shack.
 
You can get loupes in various powers 5X, 10X, 20X, etc. A 10X would be good enough, you aren't looking for flaws in diamonds.

Then again, you are responsible to provide adequate lighting, not the loupe.
 
I have a Belomo 10x triplet loupe. Examining knife edges isn't what I originally bought it for, but it's great for this task as well. Pretty sure they can still be found on jeweler's supply sites and probably a few other sites too. Google it. :)

ETA: Forgot to mention... Most loupes that I'm aware of do require being close to the subject to be in focus. When I use this loupe, I lay the knife down on a flat surface, hold the loupe in my right hand and a small LED flashlight in my left to provide the light needed to see clearly. It does the job. :thumbup:
 
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I've found a good light source makes a huge difference, more than the magnifying power in fact. I've mostly relied on a desk-type illuminated magnifier. It's got something like a 3x lens, about 3-1/2" across, and a 'daylight' fluorescent ring light. This setup allows me to use it at a comfortable viewing distance; in fact, it clips to the edge of any table or bench, wherever it's needed, so it's hands-free. The bright light is what really makes burrs/wires/blunt bevels really stand out.

staples_office_clip_lamp_definition-fp-f00200e5575c1317ac6cdcf2611a114e.jpg
 
There is a knack to using a loupe and it doesn't come naturally.

Everything has to be right: position of loupe, distance from target, loupe to eye distance, lighting.

It can be a real bear sometimes, but once you get that knack, everything falls into place.
 
There's some good advice here and there in this thread. Tom above is right: For a loupe to work on blades, you have to set it up correctly. Specifically:

1. The loupe is usually very, very close to the blade. So it produces shadows which makes the work hard to see.
2. The blade to loupe distance has to be held very constant. I've found that gripping my (extremely cheap, junk loupe) and the knife in the same hand, with the knife supported by one finger, lets me maintain that constant small distance (about 1/2 inch for a 10x loupe) and provides the stability I need to see the edge. Moving the blade up and down with one finger, you can see the focus change until you get it perfect.
3. LIGHT. You need light shining on the edge that is NOT impeded by the loupe itself. Angle is important here, but diffuse light is more important. Using a point source of light sucks compared to a strong diffuse light source (like strong bathroom lights near the mirror for example).
4. As always seeing blade details is nearly 100% revealed by the REFLECTED LIGHT. This is such an important concept that I wish I had learned earlier. An old man who sold me some sharpening supplies tried to explain it to me years ago, but I thought he didn't quite get it. Why should I have to use reflected light? That's not the real blade right? Wrong. I'm a moron for thinking that. The reflected light tells us SO MUCH about the edge that we can't see with the naked eye. This is even more true when using a loupe. Get a good view of the plane of the blade reflecting light and you will see the truth. Imperfections are revealed as a non-uniform reflection. Secondary (or unwanted) bevels are easily seen in reflected light.
5. SHARPIE! Another piece of advice I wish I had understood years ago. I thought sharpie on the edge was only for beginners. ..and I'm not a beginner right? I've been doing this for YEARS. Wrong and wrong again. I'm still a beginner. ...and sharpie is to be used frequently and reapplied during a sharpening session. It shows you what you are grinding and where you are grinding. With a loupe it shows more detail than I would have expected. Especially when evaluating whether or not you have apexed the ENTIRE edge. So many times I have thought I have apexed the whole edge and then checked with a loupe. Bzzzzzzt, try again. I see marker on the very, very , very edge of the edge, which (of course) means I have not reached the apex. Keep going until you see no marker and the bevel is all shiny ground metal.

Perhaps what I've written isn't what you were expecting, but it all about my experience using a loupe, what works, and what doesn't. I hope it helps someone.

Thanks,

Brian.
 
Thanks for the advice.
I like to see how my ability to polish the edge is progressing.
The quality of the plastic Radio Shack loupe is not able to do what I want it to do, especially when I layer the lenses to get higher magnification. The right light and angle is the key.
I've seen quite a few at Amazon.
Thanks again
 
if they still sell those B&L hand lenses for geologists, buy them at 10X to 20x. we were trained to look at minerals real close, even at underground where it's dark, using only the light of our cap lamps.
 
Hey there,

BelOMO is an excellent product for the money. I have a 10X (I think I paid $35) and I am very happy with it. It gets excellent reviews against B&L and Zeiss.

I think it is helpful to look at the finished edges under magnification. You can learn a good bit about the consistency of your sharpening angle (among other things).

Good Luck.
 
Kai Winters said:
Thanks for the advice.
I like to see how my ability to polish the edge is progressing.
The quality of the plastic Radio Shack loupe is not able to do what I want it to do, especially when I layer the lenses to get higher magnification. The right light and angle is the key.
I've seen quite a few at Amazon.
Thanks again
Click to expand...

If you are not satisfied with what you got at radioshak (i.e. 60-100x hand held microscope) then I would suggest either the Veho 400 USB microscope (~60 so so reviews) or the Dino Lite USB Microscope... I actually have the Dino Lite AM 3011 with which I took the photos below.... It REALLY clued me into what was going on at the edge of the edge. Below is a knife edge I repaired on my Wicked Edge... pics are at 230x finished on the 1k stock diamond stone.

Pic1.jpg

after2.jpg


Here is an example of what I'm saying about the edge of the edge.... On this straight razor I found I wasn't getting all the way to the very edge! Something that I would not have noticed with the naked eye, even w/ a sharpie...

A008%2520-%252020120328_144142.jpg


It will take your sharpening to the next level, believe me!!! hope this helps...
 
I'm also thinking about getting one, and that Lee Valley looks good. Anyone know anything about Reizen Pocket Magnifiers?
 
A cheapie usb microscope is a great investment , really takes all the guessing and troubleshooting out of things.
 
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