Palm Stropping!

Gents,

I have a personna 74 that was on its 8th shave, and for some reason I said to myself...what is up with palm stropping? I enjoy a straight razor shave every now and again, so I understand the benefits of stropping.

I gave it a go, and did 8 strops on my palm for each side. I used the video technique posted above.

Let me assure you the shave/results were an amazingly close and an amazingly smooth shave! I used the blade in my Star Model 100 razor, and my RL Safari shave soap.

So my question for those who palm strop...how often do you palm strop a blade, and how many “laps” for lack of a better term for each side?

I am a believer...it just makes sense to me!

Vr

Matt

(08-09-2019, 10:17 AM)Ols67 Wrote: Gents,

I have a personna 74 that was on its 8th shave, and for some reason I said to myself...what is up with palm stropping?  I enjoy a straight razor shave every now and again, so I understand the benefits of stropping.

I gave it a go, and did 8 strops on my palm for each side.  I used the video technique posted above.

Let me assure you the shave/results were an amazingly close and an amazingly smooth shave!  I used the blade in my Star Model 100 razor, and my RL Safari shave soap.

So my question for those who palm strop...how often do you palm strop a blade, and how many “laps” for lack of a better term for each side?

I am a believer...it just makes sense to me!

Vr

Matt

Depending on your hand size i can also recommend Butt stropping......

(08-09-2019, 12:27 PM)Harvey Wrote: Depending on your hand size i can also recommend Butt stropping......

Ouch!

I’m OCD about certain things, this is one of them. I palm strop the blade, 3-4 times on each surface before the first shave. After the shave I take the razor apart to clean and dry it. Rinse the blade and palm strop it twice on each surface. When the blade’s dry the razor is reassembled for the next shave. Most of the time the blade gets used only twice, then it’s tossed.

I am gonna stick with it Chaz...palm stropping...not butt stropping!

Vr

Matt

I picked up te habit a while ago, another result of shaving forumitis (though unlike the other side effects, hand stropping is free).  My routine is two per edge, both when the blade is new and after each shave.  I do this with DE, SE/GEM, Ac shavette, but haven't seen the need with an injector, though I recall seeing instructions for them.

I think at the minimum it serves to get a little more soap scrum off the edge. which can only be a good thing.  Someone needs to do a study with their USB microscope ..

There are a number of online articles and forum posts discussing stropping cartridge razors on denim or other materials.  There is also a product for stropping cartridge razors called RazorPit.  If cartridge razors benefit from stropping, the same should hold true for DE's.

I bet that religious stropping of 3-5 “laps” after each shave extends the life of the DE blade by a few shaves! It keeps straight razor edges finer for longer, and I imagine the same principle would apply.

A few extra shaves isn’t a big deal for relatively inexpensive blades that are only used 1-3 times, but if I can get an extra 3-5 irritation free BBBS shaves out of each vintage blade I use...that will add up over time.

I think that is significant since they aren’t making Personna 74s, Wilkinson Light Brigades, etc anymore!

Short of slicing my palm open (highly unlikely), Cant hurt!

Vr

Matt

I am presently on a project related to shaving, but I think that in a week or two I'll begin to write down a palm strop vs non palm strop number of shave and maybe I could report back my conclusion in a couple of weeks/months!

But it make sens for me thar palm strop should extend blade life.. We'll what the "data" says...

(08-09-2019, 05:21 PM)ImJustMe Wrote: I am presently on a project related to shaving, but I think that in a week or two I'll begin to write down a palm strop vs non palm strop number of shave and maybe I could report back my conclusion in a couple of weeks/months!

But it make sens for me thar palm strop should extend blade life.. We'll what the "data" says...

I would be extremely interested in the results!

Vr

Matt

Palm stropped the Personna 74 before its 10th use...it’s such a long lasting and smooth blade anyhow, but I think it helps and I will continue to do it from here on out!

Vr

Matt

I tried palm stroping blades and found that I had trouble riding my bike because my palm was all ripped to shreds.  Also, there was always lots of blood that I had to clean up all over the bathroom.  It would just spray all over the room every time I stroped.  I may need to work on my technique.  I used a fair amount of pressure.  Is this a "no pressure" type of activity too?  I'm new to this.

(08-10-2019, 05:03 PM)MntnMan62 Wrote: I tried palm stroping blades and found that I had trouble riding my bike because my palm was all ripped to shreds.  Also, there was always lots of blood that I had to clean up all over the bathroom.  It would just spray all over the room every time I stroped.  I may need to work on my technique.  I used a fair amount of pressure.  Is this a "no pressure" type of activity too?  I'm new to this.

Maybe you should try butt stroping then! Might be safer, who knows...

(08-10-2019, 05:42 PM)ImJustMe Wrote:

(08-10-2019, 05:03 PM)MntnMan62 Wrote: I tried palm stroping blades and found that I had trouble riding my bike because my palm was all ripped to shreds.  Also, there was always lots of blood that I had to clean up all over the bathroom.  It would just spray all over the room every time I stroped.  I may need to work on my technique.  I used a fair amount of pressure.  Is this a "no pressure" type of activity too?  I'm new to this.

Maybe you should try butt stroping then! Might be safer, who knows...

Yeah, but then my wife won't be able to.............oh never mind.........

(08-10-2019, 07:25 PM)MntnMan62 Wrote:

(08-10-2019, 05:42 PM)ImJustMe Wrote:

(08-10-2019, 05:03 PM)MntnMan62 Wrote: I tried palm stroping blades and found that I had trouble riding my bike because my palm was all ripped to shreds.  Also, there was always lots of blood that I had to clean up all over the bathroom.  It would just spray all over the room every time I stroped.  I may need to work on my technique.  I used a fair amount of pressure.  Is this a "no pressure" type of activity too?  I'm new to this.

Maybe you should try butt stroping then! Might be safer, who knows...

Yeah, but then my wife won't be able to.............oh never mind.........

I haven't tought about it. I won't ried it either then. Thanks for the advice! Loll

I use a DE blade once, never stropped with no intention to start. even the tabs cut so one slip and it could be stitches and a psych evaluation. try explaining why you cut yourself with a razor blade to a psych nurse. 

artist club blades are too narrow to get a good hold on to load my razor so stroking it across my skin is OUT.

Gem blades are a possibility...no I don't think so.

YMMV and if you hand strop, good for you...its not for me.

(08-11-2019, 08:49 AM)RyznRio Wrote: I use a DE blade once, never stropped with no intention to start. even the tabs cut so one slip and it could be stitches and a psych evaluation. try explaining why you cut yourself with a razor blade to a psych nurse. 

artist club blades are too narrow to get a good hold on to load my razor so stroking it across my skin is OUT.

Gem blades are a possibility...no I don't think so.

YMMV and if you hand strop, good for you...its not for me.

Hmmmm....I would not advocate for anyone to do something with a razor blade or other tool that they aren’t comfortable with for whatever the reason.

However, short of an earthquake hitting or having some sort of seizure during the 15 or so seconds it takes me to palm strop...I am not too worried about slicing myself and having to go to the ER. Granted, these things could happen, but it’s a risk I am willing to take.

The same things could happen while shaving with a straight razor I suppose, which would be catastrophic...again a risk I am willing to take in pursuit of enjoying my shaves!

Vr

Matt

(08-11-2019, 01:16 PM)Ols67 Wrote: The same things could happen while shaving with a straight razor I suppose, which would be catastrophic...again a risk I am willing to take in pursuit of enjoying my shaves!

Vr

Matt

I am only 35, but I shave with a straight since I am 17. Always used a straight except for the last year and a half where I have begin to use DE.

More then 99.9 % of the time, everything was smooth and was going well. Except one day when I was a bit in a hurry to leave. I had the WORST cut in my life. I mean, it was seriously bad. I could see the chunk of the skin bending on my cheek because the blade went deep in the skin. I had to not shave for something like two weeks so it can heal properly. It was last year, so I still had at least 16-17 years of experience shaving with a straight. But it also was the first where I wasn't 100% in what I was doing because I was in a rush. I learned it the hard way.

I guess the same thing can be applied here with the butt stroping, oups sorry, palm stroping...

Do I still enjoy shaving myself with a straight? Yes I do!

I just brought 100 astra platinum for $15 AU delivered
That's ad lest 300-400 shaves why bother so called
palm stroping or any other stroping?