How do you know if your razor needs stropping?

Your straight razor should be stropped before and after every shave. Stropping before your shave aligns the edge of the blade so that the steel is a clean edge. Stropping after your shave removes any moisture left on the fine cutting edge that could cause rust or corrosion. To strop a razor, move the straight razor's edge forward and back against a razor strop -- about 40-60 times on a leather strop before the shave and about 10-15 laps on a linen strop after the shave. Most commercial razor strops, such as the Tony Miller Heirloom Strop pictured below, comprise both leather and fabric components.

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