Originally Posted by
ward1402
If you noticed in the video, he used a very light pressure on the blade. The 'pressure' is hardly more than what is required to keep the blade flat on the stone. I usually touch up my razor about every 4-5 weeks, but it has a lot to do with your stropping technique. You will notice that a touchup on the stone is required less often as you develop your stropping technique.
As far as beginner safe, of course it is.
As long as you follow the guidelines described in the video and the wiki. It is not as difficult as you believe, and will be second nature in no time. Serious or permanent damage would require a total disregard of the advice in the video and wiki.
Thousands have done it successfully, and I have every confidence that you can keep your razor in tip-top shape and will enjoy many years of using the str8.