x-pattern stropping conjecture

[MikeMN]

Now that I think about it, I don't think my conjecture is valid. I should look at a sharp razor under a microscope and see what the serations really look like. In the end, I am just trying to figure why or why not the blade should be stropped using the x-pattern technique.

I am guessing their is a reason. Some have offered the conjecture that the leather is not flat, and the x-pattern mitigates it. That could be. But a side effect is the edge closest to the the monkey tail spends less time getting stropped than the edge further down.

I've been thinking that maybe there is more to the x-pattern than simply covering the entire blade on narrow strops. I reason that if the stropping can push the micro serrations together front to back to get a sharper edge, it can also curl the micro serrations away from the monkey tail if you do an x-pattern. I've made a gif to illustrate what I mean.


Does this make sense?