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This has probably been covered on this board before, but I couldn't locate anything referencing it. When you hone, you go edge first from heel to point, creating fins that go in this / direction (say for a right to left stroke). Now when you strop, you're going spine-first from heel to point again. Wouldn't this create another fin going \ (for a left to right strop), especially if you're using sharpening compounds? Wouldn't it make more sense to strop from point to heel if this were the case?
It has been covered in the recent past. The motion does not create any striations(scratch pattern), it does smooth down the top of the existing fin making for a smoother edge. It also probably opens up the fin to its maximum spread ( much like the fin on a fish).
Your thinking again!:)
I lead with the toe on the pasted strop which should keep everything running the same way and I do find I get a better result this way. On the finishing strop I tilt the razor to drag the toe behind the heel which should ... well, do exactly what Randy says.
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