You are on the right track about stropping pressure. It seems to be human nature to feel that we should really bear down so it feels like the strop is "doing something" but the opposite is true. Stropping is not grinding but straightening, smoothing, burnishing the edge and no more pressure should be applied than is necessary to maintain even contact of the spine and edge. Improper stropping can dull a razor in a hurry, resulting in that pulling and skipping you reference. As you found, if it's not too bad you can bring it back with good technique. Strop the dickens out of that blade.

I suspect that using too large a blade angle is responsible for most cuts since that almost forces us to apply more pressure. Again, "light is right". Of course, carelessness can bite even the most experienced shaver.

Props for the Lone Watie reference too.. Chief Dan George was one of my favorite actors and that scene from Josey Wales was priceless. Keep at it but declare war on your whiskers, not your skin.



rs,
Tack