microscope for viewing knife edges?

For inspecting what you are doing while you are sharpening, I still think a little 10x-20x geologists had loup/lens on a lanyard around your neck is the most useful. But, if you want to have fun inspecting everything from knives to bugs to rocks and anything else you can find lying around, then a low power binocular microscope with a dual lighted base would probably be the easiest and most pleasurable to use.
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well, I'm really intrested in not only inspecting the edges whale sharpening, but also inspecting and comparing the different finishes of various stones. I will probably end up getting both, as the loup does seem handy (that one from lee valley looks nice, but it looks like ther out of stock till 4/19/2007). in that case I will probably be getting the microscope in a slightly higher power or adding some lenses, etc.. Yuzuha, is there a loupe you'd recomend? I've looked a bit and the prices vary quite a bit, I wouldent be opposed to spending more if the quality was there. also if I'm getting both, what power do you think I should get the microscope in, considering it will be more for final inspection and looking at scratch pattrns? thanks.
 
Belomo 10x
http://www.crscientific.com/belomo.html
http://www.geo-tools.com/lens.htm
is probably the best value in terms of good optics / $
reviews: http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/belomo.html
http://njminerals.org/loupes.html

Some others http://www.kooters.com/handlens.html

B&L hastings triplets are the standard most are compared to, but are expensive (some Zeiss, Schneider & Rodenstock (sp?) are even better but cost as much as a microscope), but the Belomo comes really close for way cheaper.
This is about looking at gems but shows the correct way to use one by bracing your hand against your cheek bone http://www.diamondhelpers.com/ask/0034-useloupe.shtml
 
As for the scope... your field of view at 40x would only be 5mm so keep that in mind. If you want to take pics on the computer, you might want to consider a video inspection system (basically a digital camera with a zoom macro lens that hooks to a computer http://www.usbmicroscopes.com/microscopes/um009a000c.html for example, but you can't use it without a computer).
For flexibility, you might want to consider something like this http://www.microscopesusa.com/FD100.html
You could get the 10x/30x plus a 1/2 supplementary lens for 5x and 15x, a 2x supplementary for 20x/60x and 15x or 20x eyepieces (a 20/40 would get you higher but some of the powers would be duplicates when you start adding 2x supplementary lenses or 20x eyepieces)

power = eyepiece x objective x supplementary
Also has adapters for hooking up a digital camera like a Nikon coolpix
http://www.microscopesusa.com/BS_access.html

All kinds of options.
 
yuzuha said:
Belomo 10x
http://www.crscientific.com/belomo.html
http://www.geo-tools.com/lens.htm
is probably the best value in terms of good optics / $
reviews: http://www.rockhounds.com/rockshop/belomo.html
http://njminerals.org/loupes.html

Some others http://www.kooters.com/handlens.html

B&L hastings triplets are the standard most are compared to, but are expensive (some Zeiss, Schneider & Rodenstock (sp?) are even better but cost as much as a microscope), but the Belomo comes really close for way cheaper.
This is about looking at gems but shows the correct way to use one by bracing your hand against your cheek bone http://www.diamondhelpers.com/ask/0034-useloupe.shtml
Click to expand...

thanks for the links yazuha. i just pulled the trigger on a Belomo for under $17 shipped. that review sold me on it. much appreciated.
 
Thanks yazuha and everyone else, you’ve been very helpful. $359 (http://www.greatscopes.com/vision.htm) or even $215 for the cheaper stereo is a little out of my price range now (mostly because I just ordered the new Badger Attack:) ), but I might save up a little and get that later. I think I’d rather have the versatility and quality vs. the cheeper scopes, I don’t skimp on quality with anything else I buy (tools especially); I’ve found this to be better in the long run. I’ve got the 10X loupe on order so that should be fine for now.
 
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