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Personally? I usually strop before, some times I skip it, but 90 percent of the time I strop before.

Afterward I use a stropping motion on a towel, mostly just to dry it off.

But...

Sometimes, without you really noticing the lather dries a bit and that is what really causes the burn.

The water does a lot of work, the lather holds the water.

Yes, do a few strokes, if...

Practice,
applying a layer of soap under the lather,
good extra long prep,
double up on shaving lather after a moment of waiting for it to soak,
good stropping,
applying water just...