This is from the AframesTokyo site:

=====How To Make Softer Canvas Strop=====

It is kind of hard work, but if you will try to do it, please do like below:

Put on body soap (solid one), and wash it away

Put on the canvas strop on the wood board, and pounding with wooden hammer on the round portion of the wood hammer side to kill the tough fibers.

Washing by brush

Rubbing solid body soap

Washing by brush

Wrapping by Nagura to polish the surface of the canvas strop

Washing by washing machine

Drying at shade a couple days

Putting on body soap by brush

Wrapping by beer bottle strongly

Please do the all above processes three times

I went the washing machine route before I read this. I did not beat it with a stick or anything, but am not opposed to alternate methods if there is no change noticed. On the process above I stopped reading where it ends above. I am sure there must have been some ritual with the beer, incense, and a chant that was required between each of the three iterations of the process but if I actually do this you will know two things. 1) I had an exceptionally boring weekend with absolutely nothing to do, read, or sleep through, and 2) I am an idiot for not simply using my Neil Miller linen strop. :-)