I've been thinking . . .
One of the problems with a hanging cloth pasted strop is that it "rounds the edge" of a blade -- the surfaces are beautifully smooth, but the edge angle is greater than the bevel angle. [I've read this, and I can see it on my own razors.]
Presumably, balsa-based pasted strops are less prone to rounding the edges, since they're harder (and deflect less) than hanging fabric strops.
My question:
What happens if I take a piece of hardwood (or hardwood-veneer plywood, for warp-resistance), and make a pasted strop from it?
The surface of that strop would not deflect much, compared to fabric, or even compared to balsa.
Does the wood have to be "open-grain" to hold the paste? Does it have to be soft (like balsa) for some other reason?
My next question (if anyone has tried it):
Would such a hardwood strop, with very fine paste, give an edge comparable to a finishing stone?
Thanks --
Charles