Thread: Balsa-vs-Cork

As a 'Newbie" I was wondering if Balsa Wood can be used as a platform for stropping with CrOx couldn't you use Cork Sheeting instead? Both are very soft and the cork would be much easier to work with. Maybe I'm wrong but it just seems logical.

Help me out here!

I don't know as I've never used cork. I have some hobby store aircraft balsa with a few different grits of diamond paste and that works really well. Diamond spray on felt and chrom-ox on leather , felt, or canvas work well too. Give it a try on the cork and report back what it turns out to do for you.

Sounds logical to me too, let us know how it works, in fact that might be a very good idea...

Really old thread, I know, but I had this same thought about cork sheeting. Do you ever give it a try?

Strangely enough, I got hold of a few british-made short 4 sided paddle strops some time ago, along with replacement panels for the sides, still in their wrappers, and a box of red and green sharpening pastes. What I took to be balsa at first turned out to be cork, so it was marketed as an idea once. One of the other panels was piece of softwood about 4mm thick with grooves cut along the length, to hold a sharpening paste like the old (c1880 - 1910) french-style sharpening paddles. This brit strop is roughly 1950s in date, though.

Typically, I haven't got round to trying the various bits out yet!

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Strangely enough, I got hold of a few british-made short 4 sided paddle strops some time ago, along with replacement panels for the sides, still in their wrappers, and a box of red and green sharpening pastes. What I took to be balsa at first turned out to be cork, so it was marketed as an idea once. One of the other panels was piece of softwood about 4mm thick with grooves cut along the length, to hold a sharpening paste like the old (c1880 - 1910) french-style sharpening paddles. This brit strop is roughly 1950s in date, though.

Typically, I haven't got round to trying the various bits out yet!

Regards,
Neil

Please report back if you try it out. I was thinking if I try it I will sand the cork as smooth as I can. I sheeting cork used for bulletin boards seems a little coarse. I think I'll try to make a paddle and "lap" the cork so that it is flat and smooth. Was the cork on your strop smoother that what is seen on bulletin boards?

Cork gasket material might work good for this.

While I’ve still not gotten around to trying this, I’ve done some research about different grades of cork. This looks interesting and promising.

Now that I’ve got my RAD/Had/SAD and BAD well under control and my helping of others also under control and all is paid for, I’m wait until I get a little extra $$’s set aside and order a sheet just to see how it would work. I was thinking the ¼” thick should suffice. I was also thinking that 24” long would be ok, but maybe 12-18” would be better.

Amazon.com: Cork Sheets - Plain 24" x 36", 3/8" thick: Home & Kitchen

I’ve also been wondering if it should be mounted on something like 1/8” hardboard with 1” tall blocks. My thinking would be that it would flex like a leather or cloth strop.

Any thought are welcome!!

I recently purchased some adhesive backed cork for a record clamp weight for a friend, got some at McMaster Carr many thicknesses to choose from

McMaster-Carr

Yes you can use Balse.. If you go to Starshaving.com he sells the Balse boards loaded
Or not loaded. You can buy with Crox or even diamond slurry loaded on them. I've been using his boards for about six months just for touch ups and they work great.