Thread: Is draw important on a pasted paddle?

After finishing my first paddle strop, I was reminded of just how long it takes me to work in leather to give it a heavy draw. I want to make some more paddles, and I'm all for doing the work if it has a benefit, but to be honest I have no clue if it is good or bad to give a pasted paddle a heavy draw. Thus far, my experience has only been with hardwood veneered 1/2" plywood pasted with crox, and solid maple pasted with crox. Not really enough to go by as far as making a decision.

There are two pastes I plan on using - CrOx and CeOx (at least to try it). For these two pastes, should I aim for a paddle with a light draw, a heavy draw, or pretty much zero draw (don't work the leather at all).

Info about the paddles themselves HERE.

If I am using a pasted strop, paddle or otherwise, I go light and don't look for draw. I don't know if that is "right", just what I've been doing. YMMV

I don't think draw is of any real need on a pasted paddle. Here you are using abrasive to remove metal.....draw, is typically an indicator of friction....nice for realigning an edge but not as important, if at all when removing metal.

Actually even on hanging strops, with no abrasives many report fantastic results on low draw strops. The end result is what matters, not how the tool felt when getting there.

If you were making these for every day use then mabye a high draw and a low draw side, but for abrasives i think it matters little.

Tony