The general consensus on stropping is that you should do it somewhere between 30 and 60 laps, before shaving. Anything more than 60 seems to have little effect on the blade; someone posted an experiment on this around here somewhere, I think. Excessive stropping does, as Jimbo observed, increase the risk of poor technique or inattention. Some strop for a few laps after they finish shaving, usually to ensure that the edge of the blade is dry (the rest of the blade is dried with a towel, TP, or whatever; a strop will do little to dry within the hollow of a ground razor, not to mention water is not really good for the strop, so I am told).

As far as draw, there seems to be a lot of different opinions floating around, it seems to be a personal choice. I also find that the amount of draw I experience varies as I stop, usually due to minor changes in how I am holding the razor. Therefore, I find it a useful metric to gauge the consistency of my technique.

- Michael