Quote Originally Posted by Steve56 View Post
It's certainly been done - look on eBay for paddle strops and you'll see 4-sided ones fairly often. Those were used with a series of pastes, which were and still are favored in Europe over stones. I don't know why except that it's perceived as cheaper.

Pasted media can be a bother, you have to flatten and maintain balsa/whatever, or you'd need several hanging strops. All of it needs to be protected from contamination, cross contamination (be sure to put that 4-sided paddle strop back in it's case EXACTLY the same way EVERY time) and you can't easily rinse off a strop like you can a stone.

Cheers, Steve
I have a $50 paddle strop with CrOx on the balsa side that gives the equivalent of ??? Grit and Diamond spray on hard felt on the other that gives twice that grit. For a total cost of about $70, I have a lifetime supply of CrOx, diamond spray and a paddle strop.

I use a Vermio as a finishing hone after a Norton 4K/8k combo and sometimes a combo coticule or OOzuku, but often take the edge just that bit further with the paddle strop - diamond first and then CrOx to tame the edge a bit before stropping.

What I don’t know is if or how much my edges would be improved using a higher grit stone.