It sounds like we are on the same page. I would define the "Belly" as the curved portion leading to the tip. On a Muk like shown in your pictures, I would call the belly about 95% of the edge.

I am not sure where or what caused us to loose understanding.

When I stated most people don't seem to have as much problem with the belly, I am pretty much saying that for most people the belly or any flat straight portion of a blade are pretty comparable for sharpening. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Tips are harder for a lot of people - especially with belt sanders because they tend to mis-shape the tips in various ways when sharpening.

154 IS indeed harder to sharpen. You have to have good quality abrasives. Some abrasive media "Cut" steel better than other media.

Cheap belts are often designed for primarily cutting wood and don't always cut the hard carbide type steels very well.

I think a common problem with certain steels that are just a bit too hard for the belts is to push just a little bit more causing too much rounding of the edge. Hard to explain. In the end, you have to have belts that cut the steel. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

SR-77 and most of the simple carbon non-stainless steels like 1095 and O1 are VERY easy to sharpen well - even with cheap hardware store belts and basic compounds. SR-101 is just a very small bit harder feeling on the grits, but just as easy for me to get a good edge on it. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

I think with 154CM and some of the exotic VERY hard stainless steels you really have to have GREAT abrasives.

Other than your ScrapMuk (????), your other Muk and YKLE look pretty good to me. I think you must have the technique down pretty well. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

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