Every stropped knife is Convex Edged and that is the best edge.

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Luftig

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Oct 20, 2014
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There us no doubt that convex knives are strongest behind the edge, simple due to more material and edge support. This is simply physics. That said, I learned this by owning a Bark River which come this way which I now love. What many do not realize is that if you stop a blade on leather, you always create a convex edge, so all my folders become convex at least on the edge and are usually mirror finished by the time I am done. Most manufactures do not create convex edges as it requires more skill and time and most sharpeners do not create this type of edge as their sharpening surface us hard or designed to grind material sharp fast. I think if we, the market, asked and looked for this, the makers and manufactirers would follow, Knife sharpening conpanies would create more tools oriented to this tipe of blade or final edge and the world would be a better place. Blades would stay sharper longer.
 
Luftig said:
Most manufactures do not create convex edges as it requires more skill and time and most sharpeners do not create this type of edge as their sharpening surface us hard or designed to grind material sharp fast.
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Manufacturers won't make convex edges for the exact reason you posted, it takes too much time, which equates to money. Also they can get a precise v-edge quickly and consistently with the tools they currently use.

And many sharpeners that you buy are designed to do the same thing: use adjustable angle guides to create consistent edges.
 
I’m not a sharpening expert by any means, but stropping will only convex an edge if you’re bearing down enough to actually force give in the stropping material, which is not an ideal way of stropping, from what I have seen. I set my knife blade on the strop according to edge angle and I don’t put enough pressure to cause give in the hard leather. The end result is a V edge with no convexing. Straight razors are almost exclusively honed via strop and the bevel doesn’t convex.
 
It took me years to learn how to free hand sharpen a knife with out convexing the edge. I’m not going back now.

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I've been freehand sharpening + stropping with compound for years. If you asked me if my knives were hollow, flat, convex, or chisel ground, I guess the best answer for me would be convex since any freehand sharpening isn't a CNC machine with perfect angles. In the end, I don't get too caught up in flat vs convex vs hollow, etc. I put a decent edge on my knives and they cut. Mission accomplished.
 
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gazz98 said:
I've been freehand sharpening + stropping with compound for years. If you asked me if my knives were hollow, flat, convex, or chisel ground, I guess the best answer for me would be convex since any freehand sharpening isn't a CNC machine with perfect angles. In the end, I don't get too caught up in flat vs convex vs hollow, etc. I put a decent edge on my knives and they cut. Mission accomplished.
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Foolish Gaijin, the Japanese government genetically engineer a breed of humans they call Massagu-jin. Their bones, sinews and limbs are perfectly straight fused at the joints by series of right angles.
They were developed by the 2004 administration and the majority share holder ceo of Hitachi, these half man half surface ground plates of machine were built for one purpose and one purpose alone.
To freehand sharpen perfect V grinds on traditional waterstones.
They even have a compartment in their chest that holds a regenerating nagura stone.
 
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A quick way to a convex edge is to glue fine sandpaper to a rubber mouse page and sharpen your knife on it. Sort of a "sharpening strop".
 
I don't know if it's really the "best" , but convex is what you're gonna get , generally , working freehand .

Might as well learn to like it ! Works for me . :)
 
OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
Stropping doesn't remove nearly enough material to affect the shape of the entire cutting bevel.
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All depends on pressure and compound , so you can strop possibly without removing significant material. The other material on that leading edge, unless the stropping surface has no give and is flat, Would comvex
 
Murindo said:
A quick way to a convex edge is to glue fine sandpaper to a rubber mouse page and sharpen your knife on it. Sort of a "sharpening strop".
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That's a very popular method, I have played around with simply increasing and decreasing veg tan leather thickness, and types of backing. I found (as expected) the thicker the leather the better for convex strop, the thinner the leather and harder the backing the better for flat strop.
 
Let's aim for even and properly done factory edges first. When manufacturers can get that right across the board we will talk about factory convex. Have you seen some of the butcher jobs these large scale factories put out? Besides, putting your own edge on a knife by hand makes it yours.

Too little convex and you have a very fine, but weak edge. Too much convex and apex sharpness suffers. All things have to be in balance, the proper amount of convex depends on the purpose of the knife.
 
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