I have a Tony Miller fast bridle leather strop and would never consider putting any paste or spray on it. However, I have made a number of bench strops by gluing vegetable tanned "tooling" leather to balsa or basswood that has been sanded flat. I use Elmers Extreme Glue Sticks to bond the leather and wood. The tooling leather and other supplies can be purchased from most hobby/craft stores. I usually purchase 8 1/2" x 10" squares and cut it into three pieces. You can experiment with both the smooth side and suede side of the leather to determine which you prefer.