I have used almost every secondary component I can find. In order of what feels the nicest and still is quite effective, Scrupple Works linen, suede, herringbone hemp, fine cotton weave, vintage linen or fire hose linen, wool felt, coarse cotton weave, nylon webbing. I have a Westholme strop enroute and expect the linen to be the same as the Scrupple Works linen. It is very soft, and the blade passes over it without that zippy sound. The zippy sound just kills me. I have a piece of black iron pipe in my workshop that I use to break in new fabric strops if they are either too zippy or too coarse. It has worked well with the hemp, and it made my hemp strop a delight to use. It is of no value to try it on nylon, it is destined to be way too zippy even if you try to break it in. The suede, the Scrupple Works linen and the cotton did not require any work, they did their job without zip right off the bat, oh and the felt too. Felt is kind of an odd stropping fabric. It is smooth and not zippy, but it is not my favourite feel. Felt is however my go too for cerium oxide and chromium oxide paddle strops, I think that is its best use.