When I first got into the Straight Razor thing I made my own paddle strop out of leather and noticed I did not get full contact with the blade so I took the leather off and replaced it with balsa. Balsa is easy to refurbish with a sanding block or sand paper on a flat surface. I think if I did it today I would use hard felt for the paddle strop. For me leather would be my last choice for a paddle.

bj