Thread: Palm stropping

I just read a post about using your palm with CrOx to give a final polish on the blade when honing.
And it got me thinking...
Can the palm of your hand work as a strop? I reckon it can because... well... it is leather, right? Very fine, but leather nontheless.
I wonder how many of you effectively use the palm of your hand to strop your razors, even if only occasionaly. Do you think you could go on a camping trip and leave behind a travel strop or a paddle strop and use the palm to good effect?
I've seen a youtube video of Mastro Livi stropping one of his razors on the palm of his hand but I've always been too scared to try it out myself.
What do you think?

There are lots of threads about this topic. I personally have a razor i strop with my palm only, for about 15 shaves, I guess. It works, but I don´t have enough experience in shaving in general, to say "This works great!" In fact, the razor stayed sharp for quite a while...

Should be a great way to learn not to nick your strop

Guess what… One or two months ago, I nicked my "strop". Well, it was a clean cut, needed about a week to heal.
But alltogether, I think it´s like shaving itself. Be careful and focussed, and nobody gets hurt. I wasn´t focussed, so I cut myself.
But you can keep a razor sharp for quite a while. I haven´t shaved myself with this razor for a while and I felt my experience grow, so I´d have to make a test shave to say a bit more. I´ve read, that someone else tried to palm strop a razor, but it didn´t last long. I don´t know if i do something different.

Another tip:
When you want to strop a razor with your palm, don´t try to cover the whole blade with each stropping. Strop in parts: Start with the tip, then go to the middle, then near the tang and back. This provides a less diagonal stropping movement (well, since English isn´t my native language, I´m not sure whether I explained it right. If you don´t understand what I mean, let me know and I´ll try to find another way to make it clear. Well, you can see what I mean in this one video of Mastro Livi, which I´m not able to find right now. But you shouldn´t flip the blade over the edge, like he does…).

Regards,
tok

It amazes me how casually some people handle straight razors , the sharpest blade you will ever run into . I've never tried palm stropping , and never will . I have too much respect for the blade . My advice for those of you who want to try palm stropping , is to have ready some of that stuff that stops serious bleeding . That way , if things go bad you won't bleed too much on the way to the hospital , to get stitched back up .

I don´t really see your point. It´s not THAT dangerous. You don´t have to strop like the Devil himself is hunting you. Stay calm, take your time and relax. I´ve cut myself and I learned from it (Well, one thing I learned is, that the cuts I get aren´t killing me – well, this is something I wouldn´t call an experience suitable for others… It´s a great thing that most people who shave themselves are grown ups. It keeps me from thinking "can I write that…?" ).

For everyone, who wants to try it: Treat it like shaving itself. I mean, in fact, its less dangerous than shaving: you pull the blade, you dont push it.

Where I come from, they say "don´t make an elephant out of a mosquito."

But of course, everyone has to know his_her limits. DON´T DO IT, IF YOU DON´T FEEL GOOD DOING IT!!! I´ve read about stropping on the inner side of the arm. I tried it, but I stopped that eventually. Too important veins there…


Regards,
tok

Yes, I routinely hand strop but would never put CrO on my skin. CrO is toxic if inhaled & a skin irritant.
It doesn't replace my strop but if I went camping, sure, it would do.
I don't advise palm stropping unless you can confidently strop without nicking your other media.

I have several awesome strops that I enjoy using. The results that I have had with palm stropping have never been as good in my opinion as to what I can achieve with an actual strop.

There just is no where near as much surface area and it is more trouble than it is worth.

Strops are just easier for me, and safer. It only takes one nasty accident. Unlikely to be severe, but entirely possible.

Why bother when you almost certainly have a real strop. You wouldn't be here if you didn't and if you were a Newb to stropping then its completely out of the question.

About CrOx being toxic:

Where did you get that from? To make this clear, we are talking about Cr2O3, and I couldn´t find anything about it being dangerous in the internet. In fact it is not claimed as irritating, toxic, flamable or anything. It doesn´t even solve in water or oil(It solves in some acids). As far as I´m informed, it is as dangerous as sand (well, to you, not to your razor).

Kind regards,
tok

Originally Posted by tok

About CrOx being toxic:

Where did you get that from? To make this clear, we are talking about Cr2O3, and I couldn´t find anything about it being dangerous in the internet. In fact it is not claimed as irritating, toxic, flamable or anything. It doesn´t even solve in water or oil(It solves in some acids). As far as I´m informed, it is as dangerous as sand (well, to you, not to your razor).

Kind regards,
tok

Material Safety & Data Sheet ~ Cr2O3
Safety (MSDS) data for chromium (III) oxide