Palm stropping?

[sanch]

I'm sure this has been talked about at length but here it is Palm stopping myth, hype pointless? Who actually does this? Skin is leather, (alive, mostly supple) leather, leather is skin (dead all be it) but still skin... Yes I know there are too many differences (I'm a leather worker)
So my take on Palm stopping. Is this. Would it work? certainly, your Palm in a pinch will work but there is the chance of calluses being a harder portion of "leather" not to mention the possible trip to the ER for sutures. Would I suggest it NO! Just because of this safety concern! Have I tried it yes it's scary as hell and only ten passes made me think what in the world are you doing? !? So? Fes up! who's done it? Who still does it? What are your thoughts on it?

 

[Jim99]

I’ve tried palm stropping a few times, mostly out of curiosity. It did nothing for me.

 

[sanch]

I’ve tried palm stropping a few times, mostly out of curiosity. It did nothing for me.

So just a good ol hide strop for you then huh? Not to mention a more normal heart rate! Thanks for the reply!

 

[garyg]

I do it a couple times every shave with safety razor blades (save the true injectors) prior to an alcohol dip but never occurred to me that it might be thought of for a straight razor. A couple things come to mind in that regard. First, the size of a straight would require an angled approach on my medium/large palms which increases the danger factor (like a 1.5 inch strop I guess). Second, the usual recommend number of strop passes on a straight might up the chances of a mishap. Finally, I always though part of the reason to strop a straight's edge was to dry it, normal skin may have moisture or something else unkind to the edges ..

 

[Jim99]

I always strop my SRs on my trusty old horsehide strop. The purpose is primarily to align and straighten the blade edge. I’m certainly never going to try my hand or leg for that task.

I tried a few DE and SE blades oth on the strop AND on my palm, but just didn’t notice any difference with those babies. I was curious if it would lengthen the life of the blades, but no such luck. It was a little unnerving when I used the palm of my hand for stropping.

I have read many posts where people strop their DE and SE blades using their palms. If it works for them, that’s great. Maybe I just needed to try it a few more times.

 

[Alum of Potash]

I've gone through phases where I will strop on a small area of my palm (below the pinky of my off-hand, near the wrist) to check the feel of the edge or just to put a little more finish after stropping (usually when I've ended a honing session). In no way is this a replacement for routine leather stropping, which does most of the work, it's just a refinement involving a few laterally-biassed passes, not unlike stropping on a paddle or loom strop. As long as the blade is moving spine first, there's really nothing to worry about. (By comparison, one is making an edge-leading pass when one shaves.) Does it make a difference in the end? I don't really know. For me it's all about the mood I'm in, sort of the "art" rather than the "science" of technique.

 

[shave/brush]

I always strop GEM blades. I find it makes a big difference.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Palm stropping doesn't bring me any joy at all. In theory it should be beneficial. In practice, it doesn't seem to do anything except maybe clean your edge post-shave. Talking about straight razors, of course. Never tried palm stropping SE or DE blades.

 

[Royce]

Palm strop, forearm, yes I do it after my finisher. It’s where the mojo hides…that’s what I’m telling myself.

I coin it “Pico Palm Strop.”

 

[sanch]

Palm strop, forearm, yes I do it after my finisher. It’s where the mojo hides…that’s what I’m telling myself.

I coin it “Pico Palm Strop.”

Awesome replies from all so far!

 

[Steve56]

I’m with @Royce palm strop after honing, before the fabric/leather. Mastro Livi is shown palm stropping in one of his videos I believe.

 

[Alum of Potash]

I've gone through phases where I will strop on a small area of my palm (below the pinky of my off-hand, near the wrist) to check the feel of the edge or just to put a little more finish after stropping (usually when I've ended a honing session). In no way is this a replacement for routine leather stropping, which does most of the work, it's just a refinement involving a few laterally-biassed passes, not unlike stropping on a paddle or loom strop. As long as the blade is moving spine first, there's really nothing to worry about. (By comparison, one is making an edge-leading pass when one shaves.) Does it make a difference in the end? I don't really know. For me it's all about the mood I'm in, sort of the "art" rather than the "science" of technique.

Since I can't edit at this stage, I just want to add that palm-stropping helps to feel the edge for any deflection. This can be applied prior to stropping on leather or afterwards, depending on the situation. I've even gone so far as to apply fingertip stropping to feel for any minute edge deflection. If it's there, a few lateral passes, palm or fingertip, can help rectify things.

 

[EL Alamein]

I've done it. I use the underside of my whole fore arm just like a strop. My experience is mid-shave, I don't do it otherwise.

In those instances (few and far between) it's usually when an edge is dying. The only benefit I think is it cleans the edge and adds oils to it to allow the blade to pass more easily through the whiskers, kind of like a coating. The effect is mild but it can get one through the shave with a tad more comfort.

I could be imagining the benefit but it seems to work in a pinch.

Chris

 

[musicman980]

I did palm stropping when I was hunting for a new strop. Using the pad below my left pinky, I would do 4 one side then 4 the other, that again, then 2 one side and 2 the other, that again, then two sets of 1 and 1 if that makes sense. It improved the edge a bit, but may have rounded the edge after a few shaves.

 

[ajduplessis]

Palm stropping carbon steel razor does work well, I dont find any benefit when palm stropping stainless, not sure why...

 

[cugel]

I do it just to clean an edge to remove swarf during honing. prior to shave it's a really good stropping on shell.

 

[Jakebullet]

I do it. I watched a video where a guy with a powerful microscope looked at his razors edge after shaving. Although it was rinsed under a tap and looked gleaming to the eye, it had little microscopic bits of soap and skin and blood still on the edge. Underneath these bits of scum was trapped moisture and this was the cause of pitting on the edge over time. Linen stropping helped remove some of it but over time all this scum is transferred to the linen. But after 5-6 laps on the palm following a shave the scum and soap and blood and hair etc was all but gone and the blade was almost spotless. It was such a powerful demonstration that from then on I palm stropped 5-6 times after each shave. It only takes a few seconds and is worth the time in my opinion.

 

[Willem-Jan]

Gonna start doing this as well based on this thread. Can't hurt!

 

[sanch]

Gonna start doing this as well based on this thread. Can't hurt!

I would say YES it can hurt!! Lol! Good luck!

 

[RumpleBearskin]

Resurrecting a zombie here but ...

I've started palm stropping after honing, and occasionally before the leather before the shave. I'm surprised, but it actually does seem to make a significant difference. Raxors that only treetop a couple of hairs after honing will clear the forest after 4-8 laps on the palm.

Bonus: It ups the "cool" factor since I refuse to do a Fool's Pass.

As noted, it's an addition to stropping on leather, not a replacement.