Good writeup Jim! I have mine at about a 20* bevel and they work fine for paring. I cut the silly hoops off the end and used a spoke shave to reshape them into what I liked. They aren't Ashley Iles by any stretch, but do everything I ask them to do. And for $7 I'm not afraid to experiment with bevel angles or customizing the handles.
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
“If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”