...Hey all, been readin here awhile (this site is a GODSEND, no idea where I'd be if I'd never found it, and I've already PM'd with Ronnie Brown and Don, MUCH MUCH THANKS AND RESPECT to you two), finally got my razor kit from Excalibur Cutlery:

Straight Razor Accessory Set w/ Razor

Arrived today, and the razor had a thin coat of (Vaseline?) on it, rust protection I assume, so I wiped it off, rinsed the razor and dried it. I then stropped it up with the Bismarck strop in the set, but just the leather strop, not the white, (canvas?) part--it's a two-piece strop, one leather, one white material, both on the same swivel.

So I shaved, and it is a LOVELY shave--for the past few months, I've been shaving with those 5-dollar "straight razors" that have the inch-and-a-half disposable blade that you can buy five for three bucks. It's good and sharp, and I get BBS (my facial hair is MINIMAL, AND I shave every morning, two passes, WTG and ATG). My new razor's WEIGHT compared to that thing is huge, though, it's such a difference how the blade almost slides over my face by itself, the pressure I have to use is so little compared to the light disposable.

Sorry, got off the subject, but my question is this: the directions on the white dressing say to put it on the LEATHER strop, let dry for 24hrs, repeat. But I read on another site that the WHITE dressing is for the WHITE CANVAS strop, NOT the leather...? Also, I read that in stropping, the white canvas is first, then the leather. Is that the case, and should I use the canvas EVERY time, because I didn't this first time.

I apologize for the long-windedness of this, especially as a first post, but I'm pretty excited here now that I've actually got everything in my hands! Thanks for reading this, and I greatly appreciate any help. Meanwhile, I'll keep readin!