sf45,

The majority of my blades all started as v edge knives. The way I put a convex on them is I first use a 200 grit belt to raise a burr, then to a 600 belt to a burr, then finish off with the leather belt you see in the picture, loaded with white compound.

The sander I have is a Kalamazoo 1 x 42 sander. I guess you could convert a v edge to a convex with only using leather, however it would take quite a bit longer than using the gritted belts first.

My learning curve on the sander was maybe 2-3 knives (cheap ones, kitchen knives mainly) before I felt comfortable going to one of my Bussekin knives or one of my folders. It really is pretty simple once you learn it. The best thing about a belt sander is the amount of time you save when sharpening, it is a very fast method. Also, after you have your initial convex edge, for touch ups, you only need to use the leather belt which makes the touch ups simple and quick. If you try it and get the hang of it, you will never look back!

Hope this helps!

Brad