Quote Originally Posted by Attila View Post
...The advice about not using your heirloom strop until you have improved at stropping is a good one. You WILL cut up the strop when you are learning. All of us do.
All of us? For the record I just want to note that I practiced stropping with a butterknife, first on a old belt and then with my first "real" strop, for about an hour (spread out over several days) before I ever put a razor to leather. I am not particularly coordinated or talented with games that use hand-controllers.

For the record I felt very well prepared to strop a razor on leather when the time came. I began very slowly and methodically and, over a few weeks, gradually increased my speed. I was careful, deliberate and I mean to say I beat the snot out of that first strop. Saying I only nicked it is being nice to myself. I slayed to son of a gun. I turned one corner into chopped liver. So, for the record, maybe not ALL of us cut our first strop but I mangled mine. Glad it was a cheap-o, oh yes.