3" English Walnut Paddle Strop, English Bridle Leather & Genuine Linen

3" Wide English Walnut, Juchten Leather & Genuine Linen Paddle Strop

A good quality strop made from a base of solid hardwood - english walnut - with a classic english bridle leather stropping panel and a genuine linen pre-stropping panel. 

The solid hardwood frame is just under 1/4 of an inch thick, giving a good solid support.  It is lightly sanded and treated with Renaissance Wax to make it moisture-proof and to enhance the grain.  The handle is cut to the style of a favourite Victorian paddle strop I own.  The overall length of the paddle is just over 18 inches, the width is nominally 3 inches and the stropping length is about 13 inches (note: as each item is individually hand made minor differences in construction, appearance, wood grain, etc may occur).

The classic english bridle leather comes from a different company than the company I used to buy hides from.  This one is a little thicker (3.5 - 4mm) and quite a bit firmer/stiffer than the other one I stocked about a year ago.  It is tanned in the usual fashion for classic english bridle, with oils and waxes.  It has a light draw to begin with, but after some use the wax comes to the surface and the draw increases.  Some waxy deposits may show on the surface of the strop - these can be removed by briskly rubbing with a slightly damp balled-up cloth - this will reduce the draw and return it to its original condition.
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The pre-stropping panel is made from genuine linen stretched over a pad of soft leather.  Natural linen is more abrasive than cotton or canvas and really needs no dressing.  It is a natural product and is undyed and unrefined, so there will be fine wispy fibres on it - these may be left alone as they will not affect stropping and will fall away over time.  Alternatively they may be trimmed or singed off.

Because leather is a natural item and also due to the hand-made construction there are some small marks, cutting variations and natural faint lines/grain, but these will not affect this paddles ability in the slightest to produce a keen edge on a razor - I use prototypes of all the strops I make, and can tell what is an acceptable cosmetic marking and what will impede the quality of the leather and affect its performance - I only sell the best quality selected leather - the rest is discarded.

Paddle Strop Pros:

• Easier for the novice to use - no need to worry about keeping it taut!
• Lighter and more compact than a loom or a hanging strop, so good for travelling with.
• Ideal for pastes because it does not sag - sagging contributes to edge rounding.