Hey Y'all!

I am about 2 months in to straight razor shaving and I love it. I am still trying to figure out as much information as I can, so any advice is much appreciated. I have a question with regards to stropping. I have been stropping usually right after my shave. Usually first on linen and then going over to leather. I was curious if there was a way to tell if you are actually stropping correctly or not? I have noticed that I am no longer receiving as close of a shave as I first did when I received the razor from SRD. I did not know if it was time for me to do some touch ups on a 12,000 grit or if it is a stropping issue?

When I strop, I try to replicate what Lynn shows in his videos. I try not to add pressure and watch out for the whistle noise that can occur when only the blade is in contact with the razor. I inspect the edge of the razor after my stropping and notice that I still have a polished edge, with few irregularities in the reflection. Is the best way to remove the irregularities to use the 12k? By irregularities I am just referring to the reflection on the edge is not consistent throughout.

Thank you again for all of the advice!