[Q] Stropping before and after?

[steveclarkus]

The old man in the video I’m sure you’ve watched was a believer in resting the blade. The cutting edge on a razor is a tiny thing so anything is possible I suppose. I use a different razor almost every day unless I experimenting with an edge but in no particular order. Eventually I’ll likely set up a consistent rotation. Also, I believe romanticism plays a significant role in straight shaving generally.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I apologize if this question has already been asked. Most of the tutorials, people etc say "strop before AND after". Now I currently only strop on leather after drying but my question is: if i'm using the blade everyday do i need to strop before AND after? Wouldn't it be ok to just dry the blade, apply some oil and put it away after?

To prepare your blade for shaving you should strop on leather...between 20 and 50 laps. (There is lots of debate on how many laps are necessary). Then shave. Post shave you only need 5 -10 laps on leather or newspaper to dry the edge. No need to oil your blade...unless it's going in long term storage or if you have high humidity.