Core with cushion strip

A core for winding sheet material thereon, the sheet material having a leading edge, the core comprising:

• a hard cylindrical hollow tube having a length, the tube having an outer facing surface, an inner facing surface and a central longitudinal axis (A), the tube having a first annular end and a second annular end, the tube defining a slot having a bottom wall, a hard leading sidewall and a hard trailing sidewall, each sidewall extending from a top edge at the outer facing surface of the tube to a bottom edge, the slot extending the length of the tube substantially parallel to the central longitudinal axis (A);
• and
• a strip of relatively softer material disposed within the slot, the strip having a length substantially the same as the tube length, the strip having a longitudinal leading side edge and a longitudinal trailing side edge, the strip having a strip width (SW) and a strip thickness (T), the strip having a longitudinally oriented central region extending the length of the strip between the leading side edge and the trailing side edge;
• wherein
• the sidewalls of the slot form a dovetail shape;
• the slot has an upper width and a lower width greater than the upper width;
• and
• prior to insertion into the slot, the strip has a rectangular cross sectional shape with the strip width (SW) greater than the upper width of the slot.