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So I'm thinking about making a wide,long paddle strop,aprox. 7inches wide 18 long but instead of a double sided just use one side with both pieces of leather on it. Figure each piece would be 3 1/2 inches rough and smooth next to each other, has anyone tried this? I figure 3 1/2 inches is more then enough room so neither got in the others way. Any thought advise or otherwize would be appreciated.
Christian
I am not sure why you would want to do this. Unless you are equally proficient stropping with either hand you will need a handle on each end so that you can rotate the paddle in order to keep the side you want to use on your strong side. Using it like a flatbed strop and leaving it on a table while you strop could circumvent this, but this still feels like you are actually limiting usefulness in stead of increasing it.
I would just make two separate paddles if you don't want to go with a two-sided configuration. On the other hand, you could give it a try and let us know how it works.....
Bill,
Thanks for the insight, maybe ill have to rethink my idea. But if I do go through with it ill pass on the results.
Christian
Bill is right it would cause more problems then anything else. As bill points out stropping with it will be difficult. In addition i would find this setup to increase your chances of cross contamination of the paste.
You would be better off with a two sided strop or two separate bench strops.
I have made paddles with 2 different pasted strops end to end, not side to side. I have found 3 in width is ideal, any wider is not needed except for knives. I use separate strops and stones on razors and knives.
12 inch length it plenty for a paddle surface. I glued two, 3X12 inch strops to a 3X24 X ¼ strip of MDF and secured to the bench between wooden bench dogs on the bench & vice, works great.
The other benefit of this type of strop is, I can spin it around and use all the paste on the strops from the other side.
Here are some pics of some of them. Lately I have been using hanging strops in place of paddles.
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I have an old Hand American flat bed and an SRD Modular paddle. Both use interchangable leather or hard felt pads which allows you to have as many different abrasive sprays, pastes or whatever at you wish. The SRD paddle is longer than the HA, which I prefer, and it comes with a more useful set of pads IMO.
You might consider this configuration, even if you go the DIY route.
