Is the X-pattern necessary?

I was just wondering if the X-pattern is the only way to use a narrow strop. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the purpose of stropping to straighten the edge and polish? With that being said, wouldn't just stropping on a diagonal work?

I realize Hajo Wilkes is just selling razors, but what kind of damage would stropping the way he does in this video really do? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci9DT0qB3hc

Thanks,
Andy

Opps...I forgot to mention...I really like the towel bar/strop hook in this video. Does anyone know where one like it could be located? I have searched Google extensively to no avail...I have never seen one on a washstand before.

Nothing wrong there with his stropping or shaving technique. He is obviously holding the strop funny so that the viewer can see better and also going quite slowly for the same reason, but he is getting the job done. Covers the entire edge. Not exactly the technique I use, but I wouldn't say he is doing any thing wrong.

After reading several "Cut my strop" threads, it occurred to me that the bulk of them was from members attempting to preform the X-Pattern...wouldn't this be a safer alternative?

Used <3" strops many years, gave up on "X" pattern years ago, as trying to do that perfectly (in my haste) resulted in too many severed strops.

just do a bunch of strokes with the heel off in space and then the same with the toe, or sometimes randomly oscillate back and forth on the left/right axis during the up and down. This is true for the home use, and the ~2000 or so annual honings for blades sold or serviced, and thus far if it is harming things in any way it seems all have been 'fooled'.

What's the difference in the end when the middle's always getting more strop mileage whether you do the perfect X or not? It isn't as if it makes any shelf on the bevel plane. Looking at the two ways at 200x magnification in the scope I can't tell the slightest bit of difference, though if you ignore your heel and toe and look there you'll surely see they look unlike a well-stropped middle.

What ^ said.

I strop heel then toe, middle always getting stropped.

X stroke is easy and natural. My mind visualizes benefits of the X pattern on the edge, but I can't prove it. Narrow strops have less draw which is to my liking. Kanayama 2 1/2" is my gold standard. 3" strops seem too big now. I would take a 2" over a 3".

Without the X after many years of daily use, the hone wear leave a lot more heel than toe.
You see that sometimes on old razor.
I doubt that will be much of a problem for most of us as it is not like we are using the same razor every single day.