Not exactly a strop

A while back while shaving I was cleaning the soap and stubble from the blade in my usual manner: dip the blade in the water, pinch my fingers around the blade and sweep them off then wipe the blade on my towel wrapped around my waist in a stropping motion. This particular time I had this particular towel wrapped in this particular way with the pattern conveniently running right down my leg...
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...and thought, "Huh, that's a little similar to a canvas strop." So that's the way I used it.

Now, you couldn't fill a thimble with what I know about the textile industry. Still, it seemed unlikely that this was anything more than fortuitous that the towels were woven this way and it helped me while using a straight razor, especially in this day and age.
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All the same, I did have to wonder though if there had been some method to it many moons ago that just remains vestigially today. Probably not I think but it's just one of those things that makes you go, "hmmm." :hmmm: :hmmm: :hmmm:

If you can strop on newspaper, denim or the palm of your hand, why not a towel.

I would think most towels are too soft and the thread count too low to do much. Of course if you did several thousand strokes you might be on to something.

We actually had a discussion about this type of thing years ago. I said then you could use running water to strop a razor and hone it too if you have the time. After all, running water created the Grand Canyon (in part).