When I started out, Rup Razors' strops were recommended. I bought the cheapest one, forget the name of it now and it was sufficient for awhile. Then I dinged my razors, grew a beard and it hung on my door handle for a few years. When I came back into the light, I bought an SRD 3" and used that exclusively for 6 months or so. Then I bought a Kanayama 30k and it sat for 2 months while I contemplated the various ways I could damage the heck out of it. And then I did something stupid. Supremely stupid.

I had just finished shaving and decided to give my razor a nice stroppin'. So I hit the fabric, rubbed the leather and stropped it up. But the draw was insane. 1000x heavier than a few days prior. I stopped, put the razor away, quite confused. I thought about what I did and even more reticent in using my Kanayama. Then it hit me. Balm. I had a minute amount of left over balm all over my hands after my shave. I learned my lesson, put the SRD away and started using the 30k. I haven't put it down since.