cloths

In the absence of the real stuff what would you consider the next best thing?

Is texture / weave the most important feature? how to duplicate?

I made a hanging paddle with leather and wood. The hanging end is 12 ounce leather spliced and sewn to the strop face so the backside is flush with the wood base, making it sorta hinge like.

Mostly I need something to laminate to the back to reinforce that seam, to put a cloth side on the back sounds best.

Maybe there are some easily found recyclables possibilities, what do you think will foot the bill?

These are my candidates.
Carhardt 12oz duck- cotton
inside of old levi's denim
least likely: old beaver felt hat brim.

I've kept an eye out for an old hat but none have had a brim wide enough and I'm not sure that it could be straightened out.

I've also thought of cotton web belt but have never seen one wide enough.........