I made my first paddle strop from some canvas I got at a fabric store, a nice thick piece of cowhide from a local saddle maker and a broken pizza peel. It's not the prettiest, but it's functional. I wasn't worried about looks since I figured I'd nick it a few times (OK it was more than a few times). The nicks sanded out and it still works fine. Its been a while since I last nicked it, so I'm looking to make a nicer one. I also want to try a different fabric/leather combo.

So far I've gotten a piece of hemp with a herringbone pattern (https://www.rawganique.com/hemp-webbing-p/web-ft.htm) and selected a piece of oak for the handle. I've been breaking the hemp in by soaking in water, pounding the edges with a meat mallet, and shoe-shining it over a smooth chromed 1" bar. It's getting fairly soft and the edge seams are flattening out. What is a good way of dealing with the cut ends to keep them from fraying?

I've been looking for veg tanned horse hide, and have only found one source. https://maverickleathercompany.com/p...s-seconds-9oz/ These pieces are seconds and have a few dents and scratches. They are large enough that I may find a clean section to cut out for the strop. If I can't find a clean section, will the dents have a negative effect on the edge? I suspect it won't, but I don't have much experience with strops and would rather ask the question before mucking things up through ignorance. Does anyone have a source of clean horse hide suitable for a paddle strop?

I also came across some pre-cut 11x3 roo pieces at Chef's Knives to Go, but they are also seconds with some blemishes. If the blemishes won't effect the performance, I may go with the roo, since it's a bit cheaper and I won't have left over pieces.

Thanks in advance for any advice.