I MADE this!!!!

I actually, for the first time in my life, with my own two hands, made something that is almost EXACTLY what I wanted it to be...outside the kitchen, that is. I've got the kitchen well in hand.




That, good friends, is a Paddle Strop. I made it because I wanted a pasted strop, and hanging strops aren't perhaps the best for that purpose; and I made it to see if I could. I'm not the handiest guy with tools--but as the years go by, I feel that's something I should really try to change. This was a simple project, but it turned out ok--a first for me. And that is actually something I'm really proud of. I know it's not much, but..I did it, and it turned out well, and for me, that's a big step.

So...what I did was this. I got a board from Daiso, the type of wood wasn't marked, but I think it was cypress, based on some wood at the homecenter I was looking at. SOmething very light and soft, anyway, but not balsa--not THAT soft. I got some hand tools--a Jigsaw, sanding block etc.--and cut a handle into one end. Predictably, the curves aren't as even or smooth as I would like, but they'll do. I smoothed and rounded the handle with my pocket knife and sandpaper, and then lapped the surface of the wood to make a good hone-like backing.

Then, I went to a shoe repair shop because I couldn't figure any place out to get leather. After a long, rather amusing negotiation, the owner (an awesome old dude with a coin purse made FROM A REAL FROG!!!!) sold me a big old piece of leather, something like latigo maybe? for the change I had in my pocket.

I got that home, pressed it for a couple of days, then cut it to size. I used some G-Clear leather bond and glued it to the wood, pressing it under books for a night to make sure it was flat. The leather's back was a velvety, smooth texture and I decided to make that the pasting surface.


I used some of the smoother side for a regular strop.



I sanded the smoother side to remove some of the finish and to help reduce some of the residual cupping of the leather--that's the lighter coloration you see there.

Then, I applied some neatsfoot oil to keep the leather healthy, and improve the draw, and when it was dry, I applied some Chromium Oxide paste to make a fine finishing strop.

(You can seem y disorganized workspace...sorry about that...)
Et voila! I made a strop! Overall length 46cm, 6cm wide, leather portion is 33cm long. The Eastern Smooth strop, less than $10!