Steve, are you accurately using the term "broke" to describe your method of exposing the inside of your sample? If you are actually "breaking" the material then I don't think you can accurately diagnose the exposed edge.

Suppose you wanted to examine the inside of a marshmellow. I don't think forcibly tearing the marshmellow apart would yield an accurate image of what the inside looks like when leaving the marshmellow factory.

Right, wrong, or am I missing the point?