Does towel stropping soften brush tips?

I always dry my brushes the same way after a shave. Thorough rinse. Gently a single squeeze and then shake a few times to remove bulk excess water from the knot. Then towel strop a few times to finish the job. I can’t help but think that over time towel stropping may have an influence on softening the tips but no way of telling for sure...what do you think?

I have some that I treated that way for well over a half century. I have not noticed it changing the brush characteristics but I do think it has helped with longevity.

It's what I do, too. My brushes are all Omega boar, and they've been going strong for 6+ years, so I'm sticking with a good thing.

I highly doubt drying brushes on a towel with back and forth motions will soft the tips of the knot. I have never noticed any significant changes in my knots and I have been utilizing fairly vigorous back and forth motions after my shaves, each morning for the past seven years.

It’s hard to tell. Before I got into Shaving I would have never believed that linen or leather could be used to influence the edge of a metal straight razor so I guess anything is possible.

I too doubt that it has much effect on the hair tips. However, I do it because it seems to restore the bloom of the knot, which I like better than the "new" unused look.

I adopted the towel strop to be more gentle on my knots. In the beginning I used to squeeze them out way too tight and shake them way to hard and for too long. I have dislodged knots before. The towel strop is gentle yet effective.

I recently saw a video on YouTube about soaking a new boar brush in water in the refrigerator for three days, and taking it out daily to strop it against a towel for 10–15 minutes to speed up the breaking in. I don’t know if that works, but that’s the one situation where I could definitely see towel stropping making a difference — speeding up the splitting of boar bristle ends.

Who knows — over time, perhaps there’s some small, gradual effect with other kinds of bristles, as well.

To be candid, it's all irrelevant to me. I've always enjoyed my boar brushes immensely, starting from shave #1 -- and after that it only got better. Boar bristle rules!

I have been flicking my brushes until there is no residual water remaining. I gently wipe it on a soft terry cloth towel only once or twice. Then I stand it upside down to dry. I have been doing this procedure for years. I am no expert but, if you use a brush on your face with a tuff beard and the brushes are not damaged how can A soft towel effect a brush? You should gently wipe the brush on the towel once or twice.