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?