Newb Question on strop and soap

Hey guys,
So I jus received a strop and a block of soap in the mail today and I had a couple quick questions before I get started. I'm curious if you have to do anything to a strop before you use it. The one I purchased was one of these:

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522944/8431797.htm

My second question was about a block of soap. I purchased the Truefitt and Hill luxury shave soap. I'm wondering if you lather the soap right in the wooden bowl it comes with or if you just get some soap on the end of the brush and lather in a separate mug? Can you get some soap on the end of the brush and then just lather directly on the face? I was previously lathering directly on the face (which I enjoy) with my Art of shaving cream but this product is new to me and I want to maximize my shave.

Also, after using the soap is there any proper manner with which to care for it? after I lather do I need to dry the block of soap or does it just stay content in its dish?

Thanks in advance, hopefully my questions are clear enough!

I've never used that soap but I do use soaps exclusively since I started str8 shaving. I load the brush and face lather with Mitchell's Wool Fat. I also leave it in the ceramic bowel it came in.

shouldn't have to do anything to the strop. Maybe run your palm across it a few times to warm it up and spread out any oils on the surface of the strop.

For the shave soap, yes you can face lather with the soap, just wet your brush flick a couple times to get rid of most of the water, then swirl the brush on the soap for 10 -20 seconds then face lather.

No further care is needed for the soap, if you are particularly messy and get a lot of suds on the sides you can wipe them off so the bowl doesn't get water damaged prematurely.

Let us know how the straight shaving goes. And good luck.

superbleu said:

shouldn't have to do anything to the strop. Maybe run your palm across it a few times to warm it up and spread out any oils on the surface of the strop.

For the shave soap, yes you can face lather with the soap, just wet your brush flick a couple times to get rid of most of the water, then swirl the brush on the soap for 10 -20 seconds then face lather.

No further care is needed for the soap, if you are particularly messy and get a lot of suds on the sides you can wipe them off so the bowl doesn't get water damaged prematurely.

Let us know how the straight shaving goes. And good luck.

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+1

You can use the soap in the wooden bowl or not, up to you. I would use the wooden bowl.