Quote Originally Posted by pcg View Post
Having started this thread my conclusion is that, really, stropping before every shave, more than sharpening your razor, softens your beard. The longer that soap has to work its way in, the smoother your shave. Stropping 30-40 times allows at least several minutes to pass, which works its magic--on your beard if not your razor.
You are making the assumption we all lather our faces before we strop. I do not. I strop before every shave, and before I put anything on my face. After stropping, I face lather and shave. No hot towels, no oil, no pre-shave stuff. Simple. I know from my experience stropping before each shave makes a difference. I can feel it on my face and heavy stubble. Early on I thought I could get a few shaves from the straight without stropping. Well, I could, but there was a noticeable difference in the quality or smoothness of the shave. Yes, stropping before every shave makes shaving my face better. I have no doubt.