New guy from the Boston area with belt sharpening questions

[bobkoure]

Howdy to all!
I've currently been using a Work Sharp 'Elite' (Ken Onion powerhead with knife grinder attachment) to re-profile all my edges. Came here hoping someone could explain the pros and cons of convex vs flat-convex edges. I don't see a whole lot on the WS systems here, so, if you're wondering, it's a belt system (Norton Norax) with either adjustable guides (standard work sharp, ken onion) or adjustable belt angle (knife grinding attachment - I just have to keep the blade exactly horizontal).
Being a belt system, I get convex edges - unless I order a set of stiff belts for flat edges - and the system lets me determine how convex (both by changing a pulley position and changing belt tension). I'm hoping to find someone who knows a lot about belt sharpening.

BTW/FWIW, I've tried water stones. Not only am I not very good at them, but my arms get tired, my hands cramp up, and my back screams at me when I straighten up, so, cool as they are, they're not a solution for me.

So, are you using a belt system? I'd love to have a conversation.

 

[Matus]

Welcome to the forums. I am moving this to ‘Sharpening Station’ so that you get more feedback/replies

 

[vicv]

Welcome. I've mostly transitioned to stones now but sharpened all manner of knives for 10+ years with a 1x42 belt sander. So no guides just free hand. I've sharpened on the platen(flat grind) and on the slack portion(convex) and could change the convexivity depending on pressure and how far from the platen I was. I got quite good at this and sharpened for a few restaurants in the area and a stall at a farmer's market. Also used a paper wheel system at my stall mostly for deburring. I never noticed a difference with edge styles. Mostly now I only use my belt sander for thinning, reprofiling, and fixing damage/repairs.
There is a great debate on whether power grinding a thin edge will lead to tempering it softer leading to less edge holding. In all honestly I do believe it does to an extent and scientific studies have given evidence to support that. When I went to a water mist setup my edges did last longer but that may have coincided with a gain in skill
With a thin grind I can have a sharp knife in under 5 minutes by hand so I stopped power sharpening

 

[Bensbites]

Welcome. While I can’t answer your question, I am about 8 miles west of Boston.

 

[Nomo4me]

I own a pair of low speed 1 x 30 belt sharpeners and get very good results with them. With the diamond belts on the market I am able to sharpen super steels in very thin edges without damage or risk to the heat treat.