I think for all practical purposes, it's a nonissue. As far as I've ever been able to gather, it's just one of those things that has been passed down for years that may have been based on some truth eons ago, but its practicality has gotta be obsolete. Here is a translated explanation from La Pogonotomia (1769?):
Some people have a strange experience: they shave until the razor refuses. They then
let it rest 6 to eight weeks, strop 4 or five strokes, and are then able to shave again. The
reason is seen under the microscope: rust forms in pores on the edge when it is wet;
after a few weeks the rust particles drop off while stropping, reducing edge thickness;
some more strokes create a new edge, and the razor is restored