Continuous shaving without a proper strop, palm stropping only

[alx gilmore]

I am currently in Japan, and I am shaving with a vintage Swedish blade and using only my palm to strop. Today was my 8th shave with this edge. I am not using anything other than my clean palm, nor am I refreshing the blade on any stone or strop. I purposely left my strop in the Sonoma so that I could see how my shaves I could get with only palm stropping.

The ofuro in the hotels we are staying in are fantastic and are simply the best place on earth to shave at. After sitting in a 10,000 gallon steaming pool for 10 minutes and washing my hair with endless hot water, I have to admit that the shaves have been up to this point not only effortless but pleasurable. There has been no degradation of the blade since March20th when I first started. I palm strop about 15 times before and after I shave, and I have been using a hair dryer to compleatly dry the blade before packing it up for the day. Because of jet lag more than a few of my shaves have been at 2:00 am. I will have some photos later.

Alx

 

[Seraphim]

Wait a second....aren't you the guy with the bioengineered pasted palm strop?!

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/198894-Palm-stropping?p=3796454#post3796454

Where in Japan? I haven't been for a while.

 

[jpcwon]

Very interesting, Alex. I often wondered how effective palm stropping is, but this shows that it's pretty darn effective! Unfortunately my palms have kind of a concave shape to them so they're not that conducive to palm stropping, but I suppose I could use the base of my palm, down by my wrist...

 

[oakeshott]

Video or it didn't happen.

 

[Krodor]

but I suppose I could use the base of my palm, down by my wrist...

eesh. I've palm-stropped before on the meaty part below my pinky, but down near your wrist, all I can think of is one missed flip and, well...

 

[CanonSterVa]

eesh. I've palm-stropped before on the meaty part below my pinky, but down near your wrist, all I can think of is one missed flip and, well...

I would hate to find out that my flip is not as smooth as I thought when stropping on the palm.

 

[alx gilmore]

Wait a second....aren't you the guy with the bioengineered pasted palm strop?!

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/198894-Palm-stropping?p=3796454#post3796454

Where in Japan? I haven't been for a while.

Same guy, different palm. They do great transplants these days.
Seriously I got through the airport scanner this time without a hitch, most likely because of the scant time spent in my shop this last week leading up to the trip and havn't been honing much anyway. A day in Tokyo, a couple in Kyoto, four in Kanazawa, now three in Osaka and next we are heading to Kyushu staying in The Dormy Inn in each city. Here are a couple of photos of the ofuro, I have to sneek my camera in because of restrictions so the one of the pool is dark at 4am.
Alx

 

[Obiwan]

Wow. Cool and timely post. Congratulations on your trip Alex. Hope you enjoy and have safe travels. I'm going away for 8 days next month. I have a great travel strop, but was curious of this very thing just the other day. My only concern is my hands are a bit rough (despite the fact that I have a foo-foo desk job).

 

[Seraphim]

Japan truly is a great place to visit. But I wouldn't want to live there.

(crazy long workdays...)

 

[Doc226]

Can't wait to see what you bring back Alex.

Palm stropping works.

 

[Obiwan]

Good call......please share pics of the new toys Alex.

 

[rajagra]

Unfortunately my palms have kind of a concave shape to them so they're not that conducive to palm stropping, but I suppose I could use the base of my palm, down by my wrist...

I think the usual method is to use the fleshy part of the palm between the wrist and little finger. Just copy Mastro Livi - but do it slower at first! And maybe take your rings off...

http://youtu.be/wXkjXfuNbpg?t=3m46s

 

[alx gilmore]

I think the usual method is to use the fleshy part of the palm between the wrist and little finger. Just copy Mastro Livi - but do it slower at first! And maybe take your rings off...

http://youtu.be/wXkjXfuNbpg?t=3m46s

Ray
You are right on the fleshy palm pad between the little finger and wrist, and if you reverse flex your hand the palm pushes out giving more surface area. Yes, take the rings and watch off, and that fellow in the video is looking for trouble with the way he reverses direction with the blade rotating on the edge, much safer for the user if you rotate the blade on the spine, not the edge. Same with honing, better to habitually rotate on the spine and you will eliminate some needless restorations.

I just had my 9th shave and I did not notice any change in the blade sharpness.
This topic is piggy backing on Doc's continuing 100+ shaves after a single honing topic, one of the groundbreaking posts of all time. Who-da thunk-it.
I do not imagine my edge will get even close to that number for various reasons namely my lack of skills, but short of Doc doing the same test without the incoporation of his stropping skills this should at least answer my own curiosity.

Alx

 

[rajagra]

much safer for the user if you rotate the blade on the spine, not the edge.

Eep! Yes. He goes so fast I didn't pick up on that this time. Not the safest example to cite without mentioning that.
I must check out that other thread.

 

[Thomas Martin]

Stropping on the palm of my hand? No thanks. Putting a straight to my face is thrilling enough for my taste. There are safer alternatives if you absolutely do not want to buy a strop. Jeans, belt or even a newspaper can make fantastic stropping media. For traveling I use a small Dovo strop and I even have a small coticule that I take on longer trips in case My razor needs a touch up.

 

[alx gilmore]

Can't wait to see what you bring back Alex.

Palm stropping works.

Alfredo, I'll show you what I am not bringing back.
Shave #10 went fine, smooth and comfy. I also did not bring any shaving soap with me so I am stuck with menthol for a while.


Alx

 

[Doc226]

Alfredo, I'll show you what I am not bringing back.
Shave #10 went fine, smooth and comfy. I also did not bring any shaving soap with me so I am stuck with menthol for a while.


Alx

Alex, put down the sidewalk bricks.

That looks like layers of cafe au lait-just gorgeous.

 

[global_dev]

that's a pretty sweet slab

 

[alx gilmore]

Yah, it weighs about 15 pounds and was a round up to a point. The fellow who owns it told be it was a gift, but I think he ment it came in a trade. This is Gifu nagura and the circular honing wheel was mostly set up to use he told me for polishing japanese bells in the 4ft and larger diameter. If it had been fully set up there would have been a hole in the center for mounting an axle so it could be driven by a motor to do the inside polishing of the bell. This fellow had lopped off a couple of pieces from the sides as you can see, seems a shame but he used the pieces and sold a few cut slabs.

Alx

 

[alx gilmore]

I had shave #11 earlier this morning (afternoon here now plus a couple of sake alread down the gullet) and it was smooth. The hotel did not have shaving foam but I used face soap and it went quite well. The soap was not so thick so I could see where I was shaving in detail around my mustache and goatee. First pass was as usual, did a second pass and there was not much to cleave off. Palm stropped 30x sans rings & watch. Still all smooth and close.
Alx