I have a very specific question about loupe viewing which I can't really provide an image for, I'll just have to describe it.
If I place my straight flat on the table with a bright light source directly above and shining down, and look at the apex of the bevel through my Belomo 10x loupe, then by moving the blade and/or lens very slightly the mirrored surface switches between completely white and completely black. Somewhere in the middle there is some kind of penumbra effect, where the light just illuminates the edge but not the whole bevel.
If I do this at just the right angle, the image sort of separates in front of me, something like a double image, and the very apex becomes something extremely raggedy looking which is a deep rust red colour. In fact it looks like the very edge of the blade is incredibly rusty. Under normal lighting this is invisible either with the naked eye or with the loupe. The effect is independent of the colour of the background behind or under the blade.
If I do a full refresh with 3u->1u film this effect goes away, but it comes back again after a few days. This seems to correlate with the edge losing both keenness and smoothness, such that the refresh is actually necessary. (I maintain daily on .1u pasted balsa, but it loses acceptable sharpness after about 4-5 days).
I dry my blade very carefully and strop about 10 times immediately after shaving to dry the edge. So I'd be surprised if it actually was rust, unless my blade is incredibly prone to rusting. My other thought is that it is some kind of optical illusion which is, however, representative of the poor condition of my edge apex.
So, what do you think? Is this a known optical illusion (some kind of chromatic fringing)? Or is my blade just rusting merrily away?
If I place my straight flat on the table with a bright light source directly above and shining down, and look at the apex of the bevel through my Belomo 10x loupe, then by moving the blade and/or lens very slightly the mirrored surface switches between completely white and completely black. Somewhere in the middle there is some kind of penumbra effect, where the light just illuminates the edge but not the whole bevel.
If I do this at just the right angle, the image sort of separates in front of me, something like a double image, and the very apex becomes something extremely raggedy looking which is a deep rust red colour. In fact it looks like the very edge of the blade is incredibly rusty. Under normal lighting this is invisible either with the naked eye or with the loupe. The effect is independent of the colour of the background behind or under the blade.
If I do a full refresh with 3u->1u film this effect goes away, but it comes back again after a few days. This seems to correlate with the edge losing both keenness and smoothness, such that the refresh is actually necessary. (I maintain daily on .1u pasted balsa, but it loses acceptable sharpness after about 4-5 days).
I dry my blade very carefully and strop about 10 times immediately after shaving to dry the edge. So I'd be surprised if it actually was rust, unless my blade is incredibly prone to rusting. My other thought is that it is some kind of optical illusion which is, however, representative of the poor condition of my edge apex.
So, what do you think? Is this a known optical illusion (some kind of chromatic fringing)? Or is my blade just rusting merrily away?