It’s all part of the pre-shave ritual for me. 20 strokes on my ScrupleWorks linen, followed by 20 more on my Japanese linen followed by 40 on the ScrupleWorks leather and finish with 50 on the Japanese shell. Then I am mentally prepared to lather up and shave.

I have no idea if the stropping has any impact on the blade, but it sure gets me in the right frame of mind: focused and calm.