3" Tallow Tan and Brown Juchten Leather Paddle Strop

3" Wide European Tallow Tan  & Finest Brown Juchten Leather Paddle Strop

A good quality strop made from a base of solid hardwood - english beech - with a dark brown juchten leather pre-stropping panel and a european tallow tan leather finishing panel.  The overall length is about 18.25" (varies slightly - each item is hand-made and is a one-off) including the handle, by just under 3" wide.  The stropping panels are about 13" in length and offer about 12" by 2.75" of usable stropping area (the makers mark is embossed into the leather, so it will not affect the blade if the razor passes over it). 

The solid hardwood frame is about 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 brown juchten leather is the finest available and was specially imported from Germany.  It is a waxed and oiled leather - like latigo - but a bit more refined with very good draw and a clean finish.

The tallow tan leather had undergone a special european tannage using tallow, giving a soft and supple leather that has characteristics similar to horse hide but with more draw and feedback.  It gives an exceptionally good edge.  It is intended that the tallow tan is used after the juchten to further refine the razors edge.

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 it's 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.