Thread: Hard soap rub?

Do any of you have any thoughts as to why a hard soap rub on a canvas strop may improve the stropping effects on the canvas?

I had a couple of canvas strops that were wavy and bumpy so i washed the canvas in the cloths washer with spin dry, steam iron them in an effort to flatten them. They were better than when I started but not flat enough for a strop.

I remembered reading on Classic Shaving:
"For a hand finish, the canvas strop is given the following treatment:
Attach the swivel end of the strop to a fixed point, such as a nail.
Lay the strop flat on a smooth and level surface and hold the unsecured end firmly.
Rub a bar of dry soap over the strop, working it well into the grain of the canvas.
Rub a smooth glass bottle over strop several times, each time forcing the soap into the grain and also removing excess soap."

I got a bar of Ivory and rubbed it into the canvas strop. To my surprise it flattened and stiffened the canvas! OK, how did the soap effect the canvas while stropping my straight? Or better yet, how did the soap effect the straight? I was delightfully surprised. Other than the dust cloud that formed on the first few stropping sessions and the dust on my blade, the canvas w/ soap and leather stropping resulted in a smoother edge than previously obtained on any of my straights and I and stropped and used the straights I tested numerous times prior to this test. Now I have all of my canvas and linen strops in service and ready for action.

Note:I posted this question in a more verbose form a few weeks ago w/ little feedback. I am re-posting w/ hopes of more feedback.