Sprung strop - tapered at ends

[amdyh]

Hi all,

I'm a newbie to the board but have been shaving daily now with open razors for about a year. Thanks to the materials on this board, perseverance and lots of Alum I'm getting the hang of it!

I'm finally able to use a hanging strop adequately, having decimated a couple along the way. However I recently purchased a Stretch-Riemen paddle to try. This paddle is what I think is termed a "sprung" paddle? The stropping material is stretched over layers of foam, enabling the surface to "spring". See pics. I'm having terrible trouble using this strop, mainly because the surface tapers at both ends - meaning that the actual flat area of the leather is extremely small. The leather is 8" long in total, but with the tapers at each end the flat surface is only about 5" long (and 1.5" wide). This is a very small area and I'm seeking advice from anyone who uses such a paddle with these tapers.... is the intention to use the whole length and somehow curve the spring of the razor to follow across the tapered areas? or is one supposed to just use the flat(ish) area and not extend over the tapered sections?

I'd be most appreciative some advice!

Thanks,

amdyh