Thread: Hand(Palm) Stropping

If you think it works, that's half the battle. I strop on my wallet when I travel.

Hope you don't nick your "strop."

I've been stropping on my palm for the last two years. Never had an incident. But I am not going fast or anything. For an experienced shaver, I don't see how this is any more dangerous than shaving your face with the same razor.

I also note that if your palm is damp the draw is very nice and that draw slowly lightens as you palm dries. I have found it to be a nice trick also to dry off the edge of the razor in a pinch.

Originally Posted by ZethLent

I've been stropping on my palm for the last two years. Never had an incident. But I am not going fast or anything. For an experienced shaver, I don't see how this is any more dangerous than shaving your face with the same razor.

I also note that if your palm is damp the draw is very nice and that draw slowly lightens as you palm dries. I have found it to be a nice trick also to dry off the edge of the razor in a pinch.

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Yeah! What he said...............

Honestly I would just buy a newspaper and use that. If not then just strop on a pair of jeans you bring with you. Cutting into your hand or forearm seems horrifying to me!

A japanese stone expert (he wishes to remain nameless) was recently telling me that he thinks strops erase the "signature" of a good finishing stone, and recommended using (dried) slurry from the finishing stone on your palm and stropping with that. He also thinks linen and fabric are far too coarse for truly delicate edges. In my experience, stropping correctly on (proper) leather and linen does not degrade even the sharpest edges, but I can't speak as much to the issue of the "signature."

One problem with hand-stropping is that it's a very short surface - you have to do it a billion times.

As for travelling - I figure since I'm knee-deep in hones, strops, razors and everything else in my house I can manage a strop when I travel. Though I dont I have it, I dig the idea of that T-I paddle-strop.

CAVEAT: If you began straight shaving recently enough that you remember what your cartridge razor felt like, or if your strop has a billion little ticks out of the ends, DO NOT TRY THIS.

If you are more experienced and crazy... well...

Originally Posted by Mijbil

One problem with hand-stropping is that it's a very short surface - you have to do it a billion times.

I don't know about the OP of this thread, but there are people who have been experimenting with dramatically fewer laps on a strop than are typically mentioned here (more like 5-10) after reading in some old sources that 5-6 laps are all you need.

I like my 50 laps, but... YMMV

As for cutting yourself: You're travelling the spine of the razor forward, so you're not going to slice yourself open that way. On the turn the only way you'd hurt yourself is by turning before stopping- a sign that maybe you should be using a dull razor on a practice strop a little more. Even if that were to happen, though, the amount of force used in stropping is so little you'd just barely get a paper cut.

When I was a kid, I remember I saw my grandfather using his hand palm for stropping his razor. I also remember "old school" barbers (yes, when I was kid) used to strop razors on the palm of their hands. It was fascinating watching them stropping razors like that and, yes, I have always thought it was very dangerous and it would require a lot of skill.
When I started shaving with a straight razor - ten years ago, more or less - I tried stropping my razors with my hand palm and I guess it worked. Then, for an unknown reason, I stopped using the palm of my hand and used a regular strop only. Of course, at the time I started shaving with a straight razor, I also had a leather strop, actually they were two: a hanging strop and a paddle strop.
Then I met Mastro Livi - you probably know this happened quite recently, it was last April - and the very first time I met him he was very available and willing to teach me how to properly take good care of my razor's edges. He has always stressed on the fact stropping is very important and can make a difference on a razor's life as well as on an edge's efficiency and life.
He kept on telling me all the time hand palm stropping is one of the most effective ways for stropping a razor and he has always told me leather strop is the worst one. In fact, his famous loom strop is not made of leather.
When Mastro Livi told me about hand palm stropping, I suddenly remembered about my grandfather and all of those "old school barbers" as well as the fact I used to strop my razor like that in the past. After having met Mastro Livi - who definitely changed the way I shave and the way I take care of my razors and edges, an experience I wish every gentleman who uses a straight razor to have at least once - I resumed this technique and now hand palm stropping is part of my shaving routine.
The technique could seem dangerous and difficult to master, but I can tell you for sure it is not. Of course, you are "playing" with a very sharp blade on the palm of your hand and, of course, you must be very careful and use a lot of concentration. After all, we all are used to "play with a sharp blade" on our faces, so we know we need to pay attention and to be careful all the time.
As usual, I must tell Mastro Livi (as well as my grandfather and the "old school barbers") is right, well, he is always right when it comes to straight razor and everything related to it.
I can tell the razor shaves better and hand palm stropping is what I use between each pass. It is a great way to refresh the blade after each pass.
If I may dare to give you my advice, I suggest you to take your time and to get used to the technique. Go very slow in the beginning and pay attention to the movement until it becomes "natural", although never forget you must however be very careful. Speed will come naturally as you master the technique. In the beginning go very slow and feel the blade and the movement. You will not regret using this technique. I don't know how to explain this, but the razor seems to give a rounder shave with an smoother velvety touch.

I'm going to give it a try! I will report my findings if they are any different from my regular canvas and leather stropping.

If you've stropped any length of time, you've nicked a strop. You don't want that to be your palm.