Telling someone not to strop either before or after the shave might sound wrong-headed. So, let me explain a little more.
A rhetorical question... How long should you strop before/after a shave?
To answer the question, you can blissfully assume that 20 passes is enough. Or, you can experiment a little to try to get a sense of the number passes that is needed.
My advice the first time you get a shave ready razor is this... Shave the first time, storing in your mind the feel of the blade at its sharpest. After the shave, clean and store without stropping. Start your next shave, and ask yourself whether the blade feels more dull. If not, complete the shave. Shave until the blade starts to feel just a little bit duller. Then, while shaving, stop and strop say 20 passes. Shave a spot to see if the blade has returned to sharpness. Strop a bit more, then shave again.
This is a one time process. It will give you some feedback, some ability to answer the question of how much you need to strop. (And, the answer varies from razor to razor, etc.)
I need all the help I can get! I just wanted to say thank you for the fantastic razor. It's in beautiful shape and couldnt have asked for a better deal.
