I now know why stropping is important.

[natepaint]

So I found out yesterday why stropping is important.

I used to strop because everyone said it, basically, helps improve the edge in the short and long run. So I just took their word for it and stropped loyally before and after every shave, with out ever really questioning it.

Yesterday I was running a little behind and I don't like shaving in a rush so I decide to only do a single pass. During my shave I had nicked myself several times and had some pretty bad, red razor burn after shaving. I haven't nicked or cut myself in about a month.
Having a hard time trying to figure out what I was doing wrong with this shave, as I was putting away the blade, I noticed on the edge of the blade near the middle the light was bouncing off of it differently then the rest of the edge. After further inspection the edge had looked warped. "Crap!!" I thought to myself "I don't remember hitting it on anything or dropping it . What the heck did I do". I only had for a week since I had it gotten it honed by Lynn, "now I have to send it back already".
I thought my lady might have been the culprit at first but decided to think back on my routine leading up to the shave, before questioning her about it. This is how it went shower, lather, shave. I forgot to strop!!!!
I had my doubts that stropping would make any difference, but decided to test strop it and see if it would actually help. So I did 25 passes on the webbed fabric, 60 on the Latigo leather, my usual preshave stropping routine. Wowzers, the edge looks as good as new. I stropped and shaved today with no problems whatsoever.

Anyway, after this experience, I now understand why stopping is important and is something that I don't just do anymore because everyone here says I should.

nate