Thread: To Paste or not to paste...that is the question

A bit of background: I started honing my own SRs in early July. I have 7 regular razors in rotation. This post is really a follow-up to another thread I started -- The Minimal Honing Kit. In case you have not read that thread I hone with Naniwa stones -- 1, 3, 8, and 12k. I strop with newspaper and leather. I have been successful in achieving a very keen edge with this minimal kit.

I read a lot about pasted strops as a means to extend the life of an edge. My question: is this really necessary? Does a minimal honing/stropping kit really require pasted strops to maintain an edge? I have found my edges to be long lasting with only stropping on newspaper and leather. If and, more likely, when I need to touch up I will put it back on the 12k stone to refresh the edge.