I really don't know if anyone else has noticed or really thought about this. before I strop I hold the strop tight and rub the palm of my hand on it until it warms up. it seems to do better than a cold strop. here at my home I try to keep my house at a blistering 60 degrees in the winter. so the leather is quite cool. lets the blade kind of just slides over the leather without any drag. just a thought:thinking: