Thread: Hand(Palm) Stropping

Originally Posted by Mijbil

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.

That's how I finish my kamisoris!

I hand strop occasionally, I was taught to finish plane irons and chisels fresh off the stone by stropping on the palm of the hand to get rid of any tiny wire edge that may have been left.
The technique for hand stropping a plane iron is different though, the strop hand does not remain stationary but flips in rhythm to the stroke of the blade, it's a bit hard to describe really. Whereas with a razor I treat the hand much like a paddle strop.

i use my hand as strop when i finish my first step shaving.
After first step ,wash my razor and wipe it, lather my skin and before use razor strop it on my hand for 10times
Hand is god for ministropping because hand have microchannels that work well to polish edge.In this way you polish the edge from soap and prepare again blade.
Some of my friends use hand as strop and strop only for revitalize (after 4/5 shaving) blade....but this isn't for me

Using your palm for stropping. We are talking wet shaving - right?

This is an old school waste of time. There are much better ways to strop your blade than with your palm.

Palm stropping will make you go blind. Just say no to palm stropping.

Well, I kept waiting for a link to Mastro Livi. At about the 3 minute mark of this video he hand strops.

It might work, but it ain't for me. I'm not swishing around the sharpest steel on earth on body parts!!!

Just sayin!!

Regards,

Howard

SnakeRazor - YouTube