Stropping on the hand.

It sounds crazy, but...

I just watched the video 'The Art of Mastro Livi', where he makes a razor in a few hours somewhere in Italy.

At the end they show him, Lynn and several others getting shaves, and one of the barbers doing the shaving is shown stropping a razor on his hand.
I did a double take, and rewound a little, and sure enough, he's using his hand as a strop.

Besides the obvious risk to the integrity and cohesiveness of your hand, could this be a good thing? or a useful one?

Thoughts and comments?

I saw the same vidio and shook my head. Not for me, that's for darn sure.:tameshigiri:

Like with everything else there are tried and true ways of doing things and these are recommended for most folks. Of course there are guys who develop their own way or even break all the rules yet they get superior results doing it that way.

Actually using your skin to strop is a well known procedure. It's not for everyone though.

I've tried it for giggles and believe it or not it does work. When you break it down a piece of leather is a piece of skin :) I'd rather knick a strop than my hand though...lol

My barber does this several times as he shaves. He also turns the blades over the edge when he strops but the results are always excellent.

I've seen those videos too. No substitute for a hanging strop or a paddle AFAIC. :)

Now I'm dying to try this out!

The video is all too short, and I can't lift the technique. All I can tell for sure is that his hand is not fully opened, and that he turns the blade on the edge.

Just when I think I'm starting to learn something, something or someone, somewhere reminds me how little I really know.

I can't see the video and several studies have proven it is not effective, but the general way I do it and have read about it is to strop on the "meaty" part of the outside of the palm.

I think the curve of the meaty part helps a bit. Why anyone would ever roll a razor on any part other than the spine is a mystery to me. Not only is it damaging but it looks so uncool too. :nono:

I suppose your skin is just as good to use as a cows. As long as you don't nick "your" strop. :tameshigiri:

[QUOTE=Snake;746894]
The video is all too short, and I can't lift the technique. All I can tell for sure is that his hand is not fully opened, and that he turns the blade on the edge.

QUOTE]
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See if you can find Mastro Livi's "Snake Razor" video. You will see him honing a razor and palm strop it at the end of the video.

I have been palm stropping for quite some time and barbers have been doing it longer than any of us can remember.

I've stropped DE and SE blades on the heel of my hand but to be honest, I haven't tried it with a straight.

I palm strop at the end of the shave just to clean the edge. I'm not sure how good it would work to get an edge shave ready, but it is a great way to clean the edge.

I just hope nobody tries to strop on other areas of their body.:nono:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nessmuck

I just hope nobody tries to strop on other areas of their body.:nono:

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Good thinking.:lurk:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by nessmuck

I just hope nobody tries to strop on other areas of their body.:nono:

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:roflmao:roflmao:roflmao.

Duly noted, good sir. Duly noted.

Following on a thread from yesterday in which this topic came up, I'm looking for a bit more information.

How many laps are hand stroppers doing out there?

I'm going to give it a shot immediately before I shave, but I won't be leaving my oils sitting around on a blade anytime soon.:rant:

Note-I won't be hand stropping in leiu of leather stropping, just immediately before the shave.

A half dozen or so laps works well for me. Just please be very careful if you try it!

Yea, Livi’s hand is about 4K, have you seen those mitts? On that video it sounds like he’s stropping on cement.

I do it all the time, it is also a good way to remove soap and hair from a razor and or a quick strop feeling for a chip or burr. I strop from the pad all the way up the little finger and back down. As said leather is leather.

And yes, I do own a strop…

Yeh its a shocking looking act but you need to take not account that Mastro's hand look like they are made from better leather than a SRD Roo strop LOL

it's probably just a convenience thing.

I've seen that video too, and Mastro Livi's methods of honing and stropping seem different to what is usually said, in the sense that he applies more pressure.

But he is a master in regards to straight razors, so although what he does works, and works very well, I'd advise against trying to do what he does until you also reach a high level.