The word estropajo traces its roots to the Latin word stuppa, referring to coarse flax or hemp fibers used for cleaning. Over centuries, the term evolved through Spanish into the word we know today. But the practice itself is far older.

2025 FRONTeras Magazine Vol. 1 No. 2 Issue How does a daughter honor her father? By taking the foundation he built... and expanding it with her own hands. When Karina Mascorro walks into her shop each morning, she isn’t just running a business—she’s continuing a legacy that began over four decades ago. Her father, Zaragoza Vela, first opened the doors of Starr Moulding Cabinet Maker Supplies in 1984. What started as a small woodworking business in Roma, Texas, has now grown i