Thread: Paddle Strop and wood

I purchased a paddle strop for GF Trumpers whilst out shopping in London. I thought it would be more practical to use for an upcoming trip abroad.

I am not new to straight razors at all, but I realised that this strop has a leather side and a plain wood side. I've just given my razors a quick few laps on the wood and then on the leather to see how easy it will be to use (I don't want to end up having only that with me only to discover my razors aren't usable with it).

What is the wood normally used for? Is it similar to a line side? I'm currently wondering if I've dulled these razors, I'm in a bit of a pickle. I leave in a few days and may have to start honing my razors pretty soonish if that's the case (and I know for a fact that I'm not so good at it!). Shave test will be tomorrow morning.

Leave the wood alone. Use just the leather side only. To correct the edge just strop the razor on the leather 100-200 laps. Hopefully that will correct any damage.

Hope this helps,

I come across quite a few vintage french paddle strops with a plain wooden side. Usually the wooden side has a series of grooves down the length and is usually slathered with red sharpening paste. I usually refurbish the rougher ones and place leather on the wooden side, but the wood must have worked or they wouldn't have sold so many of them. I've read about knife makers using wood strops too, usually covered with a fine paste like solvol.

Regards,
Neil

I don't know what that wood is like, but I would think about gluing a strip of balsa wood on there, tapering it a bit, and using the balsa for a paste of some kind. Then you'd have a very versatile two-sided paddle, balsa on one side, leather (or whatever it has) on the other.