Thread: Slots in a Paddle Strop

I use a paddle strop and a bench strop I made quite often. In order to give it some "give" I put a piece of mouse pad material under the leather. It seems to work for me.

Oak is a strong wood. If you want your strop to bend why not make the whole strop thinner?

Originally Posted by nipper

I use a paddle strop and a bench strop I made quite often. In order to give it some "give" I put a piece of mouse pad material under the leather. It seems to work for me.

Really interesting idea. I had thought about trying to put some foam or something between the leather and the wood but had not considered a mouse pad. I just might experiment with that, thanks!

Originally Posted by 32t

Oak is a strong wood. If you want your strop to bend why not make the whole strop thinner?

I think the only downsides to a piece of oak thin enough to have some bend is simply the lack of handle and that it maybe is more susceptible to breaking. I was also considering some nice hand cut birch but obviously that isn't nearly as strong as oak.

I have so many ideas and don't know how to put them on the computer...

If you want you wood strop to bend the best one I think I can describe quickly would be to steam and bend your oak to the desired arc and then glue the strop to it.

Interesting idea... then one would have the curve to it but still no give and flexibility, or am I misunderstanding?

Originally Posted by ppetresen

Interesting idea... then one would have the curve to it but still no give and flexibility, or am I misunderstanding?

But if I am not misunderstanding the idea of the flex is to give you the proper curve.

Why not build the curve into the strop?

I have been known to think random thoughts out loud.

Originally Posted by 32t

But if I am not misunderstanding the idea of the flex is to give you the proper curve.

Why not build the curve into the strop?

I have been known to think random thoughts out loud.

It's not so much about the curve as the springiness. A padded strop pushes back as does thin wood. A curved strop would not do that.

Originally Posted by 32t

Oak is a strong wood. If you want your strop to bend why not make the whole strop thinner?

Following this, why not make the wood thinner and the leather thicker?

I think thicker leather would definitely work. In the description to a mini-paddle strop at The Classic Edge it says that "leather thick enough that slots were not needed." Such definitely implies that there are multiple ways to get the desired springiness. In my case, the leather (or fake leather) probably isn't thick enough.

Underlying thinner wood is key in my opinion. Like, really thin...