I gave this strop 5 stars do to the fact I saw one for 150$ that did the exact same thing. I purchased wet stones from range 1000 to 8000 grit for sharpening. I purchased the strop for the honing of my blade before each use. I've used it once in 3 shaves, my forgetfulness (as i'm a schizophrenic). The first time I used it though, it worked flawlessly, as I tested the edge with my finger, and noticed an slight improvement after honing. So i'mmmm great (like Tony the tiger- frosted flakes) thank you.