Thread: Paddle vs Hanging

Originally Posted by Jnatcat

beater from Scrupleworks

This seems to be a new definition of the word "oxymoron."

I'm familiar with the predominant recommendation to use a paddle or stable surface lined with paste abrasives with razors. My preference is to use a dedicated Solingen linen strop with red tube paste on one side and the white tube paste on the other. The same holds true with personally-sanded hanging vegetable-tanned leather strops lined with the Solingen red and black block paste or even charged with red and black ferric oxide powder pigments.

The trick for me is to pull the hanging strop moderately taut for me in these instances, whereas I prefer to leave the plain leather for routine stropping a little slack.

Pasted paddles and fixed surfaces, including plain leather, work best for me with knives, not razors. By pulling the hanging pasted strop moderately taut, the spine-edge relationship remains fairly fixed there, with any variance as needed being introduced by adjusting the degree of strop tension. Conversely, a knife benefits from a fixed, unchanging surface tension on the bench, with variance as needed there being introduced by adjusting the angle of approach or the spine's lifting.

My two cents, YMMV, etc.

Originally Posted by Utopian

This seems to be a new definition of the word "oxymoron."

Well lets just say a life lesson was learned by me and don't try to multi task while stropping regardless of how skilled you think you are stropping

I have used paddles loom strops hanging strops for paste and if I had to choose one it would be a hanging strop. I prefer hanging strop and I have had exallant results.

I prefer my Mastro Livi loom strop. Gives the best results.

Originally Posted by jkatzman

I prefer my Mastro Livi loom strop. Gives the best results.

I have the Livi loom strop and in travel size and I must say I love using it I find Mastro Livi crox crayon easy to apply and compared other makes of crox it has more cutting power . It really brings the edge back quickly .

I have a tough beard and a tender face, so I like my edges very sharp and very smooth.

I use bench type strops for pastes and sprays: CrOx, 0.5, 0.25 and 0.1 micron CBN followed by clean fabric and leather hanging strops. That gives me the edges I desire.

I have tried many different kinds of substrates for the abrasives: balsa, basswood/linden, sailcloth, linen, veg tanned leather, even kangaroo leather, etc. My favorite substrate by far is the nanocloth on glass strop developed by Ken Schwartz and sold by CKTG. It feels like velvet when in use. It has what seems to be the perfect draw and compression. They are more expensive than the DIY substrates, but they produce superb edges. They have both 3" x 8" and 3" x 11" sizes. I have used both and prefer the 11" size for stropping.

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/nacl3xforedp.html

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/11x3naclst.html