Thread: Slots in a Paddle Strop

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...

My father purchased a paddle strop from SRD and it has slots with zero give. Just added cost to the product.

I would go with niftyshaving's construction, two super thin pieces of wood sandwiching a handle and foot. It just seems way to difficult to cut a block thin enough to give the way it should.

Originally Posted by dinnermint

My father purchased a paddle strop from SRD and it has slots with zero give. Just added cost to the product.

I would go with niftyshaving's construction, two super thin pieces of wood sandwiching a handle and foot. It just seems way to difficult to cut a block thin enough to give the way it should.

The more I think about niftyshaving's suggestion the more I like it. Maybe something like milling out the main part of the paddle so I'm left with an area to make a handle, a thin/hollow centre section, and a full sized end, and then glue a very thing piece on top to give it the necessary flex.

With that said, I was experimenting with my tension strop tonight and even with very very little tension and I strop with such little pressure that even that resulted in almost zero give to the leather. Can one strop too lightly? If the leather doesn't flex even with no tension it's hard to imagine getting the wood thin enough that the give would be so noticeable.

Over the last year or so, I've increased the pressure I use to strop. Mainly when I first lay the razor on my linen and leather. I do lighten up some as I go. No real reason, it just happens. I started and stayed at feather light for years and one day got frustrated with a wedge, stropped the bejesus out of it with heavier pressure and boom, awesome shave. Super thin grinds are a different story, but I only have a couple of those.

But, that's just me. If you have success with that light of stropping maybe a durable foam pad under the stropping materials is all you need. I still suggest foam or somesuch, just to compensate for inconsistent thickness in leather. On the other hand, my father still uses that dang stiff paddle and it works for him, as well as others.

Maybe it's just not my cup of tea...

I use a Lipshaw strop a lot. They have foam rubber under on the later ones and a 'Jute' like stuff on the older ones.
A bit of cushion is nice.

Am thinking we are headed toward a discussion on how to draw the razor back on what.

Those who strop on a hard paddle will need to follow the edge, much as in honing.

More cushy, more pushy. I always say...Easier