Some great replies... Thank you....

I am concerned about one comment by Glen. "Nothing tightens one with a bent pin if the pin is doing this..." In fact, my pin is bent. the scales are skewed at the pivot. I can only imagine that this means that the pin is bent. This is how I got the blade when I got it from my grandfather.

Since the pin may be bent, would tapping it bend the pin more? So far I have not destroyed my strop, but I don't want to end up doing that. And to add salt to an open wound this loose pin is on my best shaver, so letting it rest in the coffin is just sad