in this case, i think the strop as used as a finer abrasive than the highest grit stone, theoretically polishing it to a finer edge, but i doubt its use made a meaningful difference.
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Lignum vitae: The wood is obtained chiefly from Guaiacum officinale and Guaiacum sanctum, both small, slow growing trees. All species of the genus Guaiacum are now listed in Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) as potentially endangered species. Demand for the wood has been reduced by modern materials science, which has led to polymer, alloys and composite materials that can take lignum vitae’s place.
The hardness rating is astounding, almost 2.5x as hard as hickory, so a paddle made of this could (and probably should) have spanked Andrew Jackson.
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Desert Ironwood (Olneya Tesota) is about the same density (1.21 vs. 1.23) and about 72% as hard. Unlike Lignum Vitae, it’s readily available because it’s not endangered. (I used to have an ironwood tree in my back yard in Phoenix. Pretty thing, if thorny.)
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