TomD
"for the older style cap irons, i like the japanese method of a shallow primary bevel and a very steep very small final bevel. Like a 25 degree primary and a very small 75-80 degree bevel to actually break the chips. It makes it easier for the plane to feed, and it's easier to set up."

That comes out of the SS tests for one thing. Of the blades I have, the hand made forged ones do not have that micro bevel, and the cheap stamped ones do. I have about a dozen with breakers, though I don't have the breakers on most of the planes, and can't find the box. It's there. But anyway, now I am looking at this stuff differently, but also wondering about the roll of the high and low bevels. My original thought was that they were differet methods of manufacture and that the shell like stamped ones did not have the shape for a low angle.

Just reviewed a few books, and Odate's shows the steep micro bevel in a drawing...