I always figured the chip breaker was just there to add stiffness, but watching it turn a tearout nightmare into a glassy finish changed my mind hard. Paul Sellers says a hair under 1/16" for a smoother, tighter if you can get it and still clear shavings.

Did you ever read that thing about how most people's favorite tools just come from whatever their dad had in the garage? I swear half my go-to brands are stuff I inherited or got handed on a job, not anything I picked out at a store. Kinda makes you wonder how much choice we really have in it all.

How short was he keeping that nape before he ran the reverse pass? I'm wondering if the trick is that you have to leave enough length for the against the grain pass to actually grab something, or if it works even on a skin fade. Also did he go up the whole neck or just that little V at the bottom? Every time I try going against the grain on the nape I get red bumps on guys with sensitive skin, so I'm curious if there was a guard or blade setup he was using to keep it from digging in.