Leather Strop: a Beech Paddle Faced with Leather on Both Sides

A strop is a strip of leather that straightens the fine edge of a blade after the stone; with an abrasive such as iron oxide rubbed in, it also polishes a little. Strops hang, sit as blocks, or come as hand-held paddles. Glue leather to both faces of a beech paddle, smooth side out on one face and rough side out on the other, and charge the rough side with red iron oxide. The picture: our diagram, the paddle from above and in section, with a blade drawn spine first.