Double-Sided Leather Paddle Strop

Blue Spruce Chisels arrive in your shop lapped perfectly flat, polished to a mirror-finish and surgically sharp. The best plan for always cutting with those perfect edges is to keep them that way, rather than letting them dull and then trying to bring them back. Follow the lead of the world’s finest carvers. Keep your chisels razor-sharp all the time with frequent use of a leather strop. And, here’s the perfect strop for chisels. The Blue Spruce Paddle Strop wraps two textures of premium cowhide around a carefully flattened 4” x 14-5/8" white oak paddle. Simply charge the leather with honing compound, draw the bevel of the chisel backward along the strop a few times, follow that with a couple strokes with the back held flat on the leather and get right back to work. One side of the strop has a rough texture. This is slightly more aggressive than the smooth side…perfect for the bevel. The mirror-polished backs of the chisels should be maintained exclusively on the smooth side. Just a quick swipe of honing compound on either side prepares it to cut. The Blue Spruce Paddle Strop should live on your workbench right next to your chisel roll. The key to quality hand tool woodworking is making every cut with a keen edge. If you develop the habit of hitting the strop every few cuts you make (like those master carvers mentioned earlier) you just might forget which drawer your bench stones are hiding in. Treat your marking knives, pocket knives, and plane irons the same way, and every cut you make in the shop will be predictable and perfect. We offer a top-quality chromium-oxide honing compound to go along with your Paddle Strop and should you accidentally go the wrong direction with your blade (remember…go backwards) and cut your strop, replacements are available and easily installed. Chromium Oxide Honing Compound sold separately.