Slots in a Paddle Strop

In preparation for making my own I've been looking at a few paddle strops and a fair number of them have slots, generally two, cut into the sides which supposedly give it some flex and make it feel a bit more like a hanging strop. Does it really make much of a difference? I see enough with the slots, both vintage and new, which makes me think there must be something to it, but on it's own I guess I find it difficult to believe those slots would be all that noticeable. Anyone with some experience or thoughts on this?

Having some 'give' to the strop is desirable, IMO.
Air-space or padding is a good thing on a paddle strop.
Exactly like not pulling a hanging strop too taut. We need to hit the very edge.

There have been some modern ones that I have seen that left me wondering if it would have any flex at all. I think the flex needs to be soft.

This is good to know. I have the remnants of a Tony Miller synthetic strop, from which I can get about 12 inches of usable area, thus the plan to make a paddle strop out of it. I think I should be able to cut the slots with a table saw. Nothing to lose at this point, aside from nice oak if I really mess it up.

The solid-backed ones need a touch of 'torque' as stropping. Not something a newer shaver (or anyone else!) should need to learn.
A piece of something on a piece of wood does not a strop for razors make...

I have seen these slots you speak of. Seems like they would provide little effect. I would like to experience one.
Just get some give under the 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?

I have one of those slotted strops and a home made leather on board bench strop. I really do not feel the difference when stopping with them.

I do think a 3” paddle strop is a good thing for a newbie to learn proper stropping technique and develop the appropriate muscle memory before ripping a good hanging strop to shreds.

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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.

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Sounds to me like this would be a lot more effective than putting slots in the wood base.

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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.

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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!

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Originally Posted by 32t

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

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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?

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Originally Posted by ppetresen

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

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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.:D

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Originally Posted by ppetresen

In preparation for making my own I've been looking at a few paddle strops and a fair number of them have slots, generally two, cut into the sides which supposedly give it some flex
......
Anyone with some experience or thoughts on this?

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Sort of. I play with pasted wood strops from time to time.
I commonly use the thinnest plywood with a balsa or clean birch surface
and they do not flex very much at all.

They are light and easier to handle.

I also have some pasted leather on 8" oak that I use like a bench stone.

My thought is to take two thin 1/16"x3"x18" stropping surfaces and glue a handle and foot to them.
Then mark the grit and paste. 1 micron or less should do it.
CrOX is much more abrasive (and messy) than many give it credit for.

They seem to work for a "shaver" but cannot be lapped flat or rubbed clean under water
like an quality rock so honemasters discount them as finishers.

I made one about three foot long and with CrOx it does give a nice long polishing stroke
but is a pain to store and keep dust free. At three feet it only flexes a little with stropping or honing pressure.

My bias is weight and feel not flex.
Too much fun to not try...


Thin wood cups... I have taken my DMT and sanded some flater.
Solid 1/8" balsa can be sanded flat with a DMT or planed flat a couple times.
Common sand paper sheds grit so avoid it.

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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.:D

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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.

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Originally Posted by 32t

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

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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.

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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.

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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

I feel much of this has to do with just what you intend to use a paddle strop for. I would agree that for plain leather, every shave stropping a bit of flex or "cushion" may be desirable. Most of the slotted paddles I see however are so stiff no amount of normal pressure is going to flex them and to me the slots are just added hype and expense. Light padding underneath, a loom type strop with variable tension, or simply thicker, softer leather may give the desired give.

Now, if I am using my strop as a hone, pasted or sprayed with an abrasive, I myself want the most hard and rigid surface I can get to avoid any chance of rounding my edge. A little flex or give on an abrasive surface, in my thinking can quickly impart a bit of rounding to my edge effectively reducing sharpness. For a pasted paddle I want a flat, hard surface. Thick stable hardwood supporting a firm leather, thick or thin, as long as it is hard would do nicely. I also like balsa or basswood. yes, balsa is soft but under normal stropping pressure it is not going to give. Layer it on a stable wood substrate to keep it flat. I have used dense MDF, with a sanded surface to provide a tooth for the abrasive to stick to as a base for pastes on knives and razors with good results.

Just my thoughts

I use suspended balsa for my CroOx and FeOx. It does deflect a bit, but not much if you tighten the thumbscrews.
Loosen them all for heavy wedges! ;)

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

I use suspended balsa for my CroOx and FeOx. It does deflect a bit, but not much if you tighten the thumbscrews.
Loosen them all for heavy wedges! ;)

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Boy there is a lot going on in this picture. In my head those cleavers come off the stones and are used to give the most amazing BBS shave.