Strop Technique

Very new to this so forgive my ignorance. I've stropped my razor a total of four times so far. Two of the times I only used the leather and the other two I also used the cloth on the back side. Both times with the cloth the shave was noticeably closer. Would some of you enlighten me as to the order you use strop or what has worked best for you? Both times I did leather first followed by cloth and then leather again. I just shaved about an hour ago so I can't do much but work on strop technique for the next two days.

Thanks
John Paul

Best approach is cloth first then leather. The cloth side is used to clean any debris from the face and edge of the razor. The leather side is to condition, or realign, the cutting edge. I hope that before you start a stropping session that you are rubbing the leather surface with the palm of your hand till it feels slightly warm? If it is a new strop you are using then that is the only treatment needed for the life of the strop. The cloth, or whatever the materials (could be cotton, linen, webbing, in some cases denim) the only care needed would be a scrub and rinse on rare occasion. A separate non-leather surface should be used when you want to use Crox or diamond spray after a blade refreshening or bevel to shave ready honing.

Hope this helps. DO read in the Library, Strop section, and of course, questions gladly answered.

As richard says, usually fabric then leather. Some of us only use leather though.

I do linen then leather. I find that the linen alone considerably improves the edge and the leather further impoves upon the linen.