Stropping is nothing more than sharpening on a very fine scale. You can't expect a strop to be any better for a convex than it is for a straight edge too. If your edge is used and you consider it dull then a 50,000 grit strop is probably not the best starting point.


Many hold the factory edge on a high pedestal and many have sharpening problems because of it. The factory grind is a crude way of getting a sharp (if your lucky) edge in minimal time. Good for the factory but not good for the misinformed user.

You will probably need to start at 320 to correct the dulling and factory grind. This is also a good time to make your edge more durable by increasing your sharpening angle.

Pressure is the main thing in stropping and convex sharpening, with convex though its the pressure that makes the shape. The amount of pressure used usually needs to be more than what most say, too light and you create a edge that no longer has a shoulder but is paper thin at the edge. Too much pressure at the wrong angle and you'll continually be grind off the edge you are trying to make. You must balance the pressure with the thickness and abilities of the steel/knife.

For effective use of your compounds first finish your edge to 2k grit, followed by black then green compound. If done correctly you will have a mirror finish and a razor sharp edge.

Too get the belly and tip raise the handle slightly and decrease pressure. This will allow you to in a single pass evenly sharpen the whole edge. The decrease of pressure is needed because you are reducing surface area contact and increasing pressure on a smaller point. If you were to keep the same pressure you would increase bevel height and angle through this area.