Magnafier for viewing an edge?

That's why I like my lamp/lens thing: I can see clearly, and keep my hands free.
Mine has a very bright circular light too; magnification is x2,5 all over the lens, with a small x8 lens included in the big one, so I can also get a closer look when inspecting the edge.
Not too portable as I would like it to be, but so far it has helped me alot in my learning curve of freehand sharpening (thanks to David too).
:cool:
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
And it's all-the-worse if you wear glasses (like I do). Field of view gets that much narrower. My lamp/magnifier was stashed away in a box for a long while (I bought it, then moved). Didn't feel too eager to use it, because I sort of assumed the '3X' wouldn't be as useful as something stronger. Now that I've finally dug it out again, I'm using it more often than the 10X loupe. The light, field of view and the working distance make a big difference in 'usability'. And it's HANDS-FREE!
Click to expand...

Oh yes, I too wear glasses and always take them off when it's time for close inspection, magnified or non-magnified, so between trying to find a place to set my glasses, hold the lupe and the knife and constantly reconnoiter for proper viewing distance/sharpness/light angle I can get somewhat frustrated. In fact now that I have eaten diner, reread all the above and thought some more about it the mag/lamp combo makes all the more sense to me. It really is about the 'light' too.
I recently had a hair popping edge that 'appeared' burr free at the kitchen table under incandescent light. It wasn't until I stood and held the knife edge only a few inches away from the light bulb at just the right angle that I was able to see that tell tale glint running nearly the full legth of the appex.
 
I use an Optivisor with a #7 lens board to which I've attached an iTP H01 T light using a pair of C clips. The light runs on 1 (Eneloop) AAA battery and puts out up to 80 lumens. The power of the loupe is around 2 3/4X. The light is just as important as the power. I have binocular dissection microscopes (low power 10-20X), but the loupe is handier. I have a Zeiss 4.3X binocular loupe with a 40mm focal working distance, but I haven't rigged it with a light yet. It works well on sunny days. I like to sharpen knives by inspection because I can see a burr (with magnification) before I can feel it. Therefore my knives last longer.
 
tiguy,
I just googled both of the items in the first setup you mention. I'm having a hard time visualizing the orientation of the light relative to the Optivisor lens. Also, is the lens mounted in a visor and, if so, are you looking through the lens during the whole sharpening process or just to inspect occasionally?
 
The C clips are mounted on top of the hood of the visor about 2cm behind the corner and 4cm apart. I modify the clips slightly to open them up a little and hold them in place with #6 machine screws and lock nuts. The Optivisor is available with a variety of lens boards (different powers). The one I like is a #7 which is about 2 3/4X. The highest power offered is a #10 which is about 3 1/2X. Each lens board holds a pair (R/L) of lenses. As the power increases, the focal (working) distance decreases. I use the rig to check for a burr after I have made a certain number of passes on the stone. The number of passes changes with the hardness of the steel and the amount of which has to be removed. I count the number of strokes on each side of the edge to make sure that the edge stays centered. I finally rigged my Zeiss loupe with an iTP H01. It's quite a tool. PM me if you need more details.
 
I just use a pair of 2.0 mag glasses & a hand held magnifying glass in concert. Works well for me.
 
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