Alright one last time before I pull the trigger on a new pasted paddle

[SavantStrike]

I'm going to dredge up an old topic.

Paste straight onto the hardwood paddle, or add leather or felt to the surface and paste that.

I've got two paddles I'm building and plan to finish this next week, and if enough of you guys convince me to go the leather route, maybe I will bail on rounding the corners of the paddles (so I can just put full size leather on it).

I'm going to be using these paddles for crox, ceox, and maybe diamond pastes. My daily stropping will still take place on white chalk pasted canvas and latigo, both hanging. I only use paste for the last 10 percent of a new edge, and for touch ups (i.e. I do most of the grunt work on hones).

So far I've had pretty good luck with a flat board with paste directly on it, and some very smart people have claimed that by using a hard surface, I am less likely to get apple seeding of the edge. Other very smart people are using paddles with felt or leather on them.

So what do you guys think. Confuse me .

 

[mdunn]

if it were me I would use leather. It will give the blade a little bit of 'suspension' as you go along the paddle, I would think that it also holds the crox etc better than a hardwood would

 

[leighton]

Try it with balsa wood, and try it with just pastes. If the balsa is better, try the leather, if the hard surface is better, stick with that.

 

[Leche]

Balsa is a good medium, cheap, and is easily lapped flat.

 

[SavantStrike]

Well I'm completely lost now.

I just read a post at SRP where Glen said he has found that for CeOx, balsa is the most aggressive edge, and felt is the least, with leather being in the middle. I don't really feel like putting anything else on these paddles right now, just CrOx straight up...

So confused .

Ambrose had a good suggestion to add canvas to them by folding it and stapling it to the sides. I think I may do that if the hard surface isn't adequate.