Sharpening a knife

The first thing I do when someone gives me a knife to sharpen is to examine the edge for nicks. Not all damage is visible to the naked eye so I use an LED powered 15X Loupe which allows me to get a really close up look at the edge, the cutting part of the knife. There are times when the blade is so damaged that before I start using the stones I bring out the belt sander equipped with the sharpening belts. This tool allows me to remove metal and reshape the edge and basically return it to it's original shape. Now I can actually sharpen the knife and this is where for me, the fun starts.This is where the cost of all of those Japanese Water Stones and my guided device,  The Edge Pro Professional starts to pay off. 
Perhaps you can understand better if you are familiar with some of the most basic parts of the a knife. Did you know that many knives are stamped from a single piece of metal and sharpened on a machine, a grinder. A robotic arm is just part of an automated process that ultimately forms our beloved kitchen knives. Regardless of the process that is used to take the metal from it's original state, ore, high carbon steel, stainless steel or a blend of carbons into what we purchase, each knife eventually becomes dull from use.
My passion is to restore the edge of the knife to not only the same degree of sharpness as the day it was purchased but to take it beyond that and transform the dull knife into a beautifully sharpened instrument that enhances your food preparation experience and makes you feel good about buying that knife again.
Here you go, perhaps having this to look at will help you understand just what it is I do next, i.e. the sharpening or re-sharpening, the fun part.  What this picture does not show is the bevel, that portion of the knife that is the angled piece on each side directly behind the edge and this is the part that I work on.