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Grip Tape and Support Hand Callus


MiWiAu

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I added some grip tape to my Glock a couple weeks ago to get a more positive purchase with my support hand. The OE grips were too slippery, and the grip tape I installed (from Ben Stoeger Pro Shop) is somewhere between 40 and 60 grit. It's pretty aggressive, which works well, but it's beginning to tear the $#!+ out of the meaty part of my support palm at the base of the thumb.

 

I've been doing daily dryfire for the last couple weeks, and the skin on my support hand is pink and tender. It hasn't rubbed all the way through yet, but I don't think I'm too far off from that point.


I'd prefer to not make the grip less aggressive, and I would like to continue my dryfire routine. I'm wondering what the best way is to facilitate speedy development of a callus. Should I keep the tender area moisturized? Let it dry out? Give it a break and cover it with athletic tape, or keep pushing until it rubs through? Tips/tricks welcomed. :)

 

Thanks!

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A lifetime of working with tools negates this problem.  So I can't be of help.


LOL. No problem. I sit behind a computer most of the day now, and evidently I’ve gone delicate.


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In the short term, use athletic grip tape to protect your hands when they get tender. Over time you hands and the grip tape will "wear in" and it will be less of an issue


Copy that. Thanks!!


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I’d grab some kind of moisturizer-type thing that’s designed for people who use their hands for lots of heavy work, etc. 

 

 I use one called Joshua Tree that’s designed for rock climbers. Supposedly it helps your hands heal without preventing them from toughening up. So not really a moisturizer if that makes sense.

 

In the short term I would use athletic tape to protect your hands when they get too raw so you can still practice. 

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I’d grab some kind of moisturizer-type thing that’s designed for people who use their hands for lots of heavy work, etc. 
 
 I use one called Joshua Tree that’s designed for rock climbers. Supposedly it helps your hands heal without preventing them from toughening up. So not really a moisturizer if that makes sense.
 
In the short term I would use athletic tape to protect your hands when they get too raw so you can still practice. 


I will check out Joshua Tree. Thanks for the recommendation. I got some “Jack Black Industrial Hand Healer” that I like, but I’ll look into rock climber stuff. Good tip!


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I had the same issue, and im a fabricator, but it was my thumb. Got tired of bleeding so added a piece of athletic tape to the grip itself to get me through. Eventually the grip tape broke in and doesnt happen anymore. 

I use pro grip and after a dryfire session i use a product called "working hands". That stuff is pretty impressive.

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I use pro grip and after a dryfire session i use a product called "working hands". That stuff is pretty impressive.


Is the stuff you use the O’Keeffe’s Working Hands in the green container? If so, it’s certainly the most reasonably priced of the stuff I’ve seen so far. I started using Pro Grip recently as well... amazing how much a little of that stuff helps! With that and the grip tape, it’s like the pistol is velcro’d to my hands! :)

Thanks!



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That OKeeffe stuff is alcohol based.  That's why it seems to dry so quickly and not feel oily.  Throw it in the trash.

 

If you need to repair hand damage, go to Tractor Supply or Rural King and get a tube of Udder Balm.  My hands look like complete hamburger after a winter of working and playing outside and that's what I use.

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That OKeeffe stuff is alcohol based.  That's why it seems to dry so quickly and not feel oily.  Throw it in the trash.  

If you need to repair hand damage, go to Tractor Supply or Rural King and get a tube of Udder Balm.  My hands look like complete hamburger after a winter of working and playing outside and that's what I use.

 

 

Hmm, I’ll have to go to a store and see what they have. The “Udder Balm” I see on Amazon also appears to contain alcohols. The “Bag Balm” does not, but it also appears to be mostly vaseline with a couple extras. Thank you.

 

ETA: There are some interesting articles on alcohol in skin care products. Bottom line is that not all of them are bad (fatty alcohols are actually good for the skin).

 

https://www.paulaschoice-eu.com/alcohol-in-skincare-the-facts

 

 

I also found this product analyzer (just copy/paste the ingredients). The O’Keefes doesn’t seem all that bad. [emoji2369]

 

https://www.skincarisma.com/ingredient-analyzer

 

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I added some grip tape to my Glock a couple weeks ago to get a more positive purchase with my support hand. The OE grips were too slippery, and the grip tape I installed (from Ben Stoeger Pro Shop) is somewhere between 40 and 60 grit. It's pretty aggressive, which works well, but it's beginning to tear the $#!+ out of the meaty part of my support palm at the base of the thumb.
 
I've been doing daily dryfire for the last couple weeks, and the skin on my support hand is pink and tender. It hasn't rubbed all the way through yet, but I don't think I'm too far off from that point.

I'd prefer to not make the grip less aggressive, and I would like to continue my dryfire routine. I'm wondering what the best way is to facilitate speedy development of a callus. Should I keep the tender area moisturized? Let it dry out? Give it a break and cover it with athletic tape, or keep pushing until it rubs through? Tips/tricks welcomed. [emoji4]
 
Thanks!


Dumb me just decided to work through it. When my support hand started bleeding, I practiced strong hand only. When my strong hand bled, I did weak hand only lol. Now my hands are just one giant callus. I definitely couldn’t be a hand model lol. Anything to numb some of the sting while your skin is toughening up would probably be a good idea. Best of luck!


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1 hour ago, MiWiAu said:

 

Hmm, I’ll have to go to a store and see what they have. The “Udder Balm” I see on Amazon also appears to contain alcohols. The “Bag Balm” does not, but it also appears to be mostly vaseline with a couple extras. Thank you.

 

ETA: There are some interesting articles on alcohol in skin care products. Bottom line is that not all of them are bad (fatty alcohols are actually good for the skin).

 

https://www.paulaschoice-eu.com/alcohol-in-skincare-the-facts

 

 

I also found this product analyzer (just copy/paste the ingredients). The O’Keefes doesn’t seem all that bad. emoji2369.png

 

https://www.skincarisma.com/ingredient-analyzer

 

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Bro I'm just telling you that O'Keefe makes my hands look good for maybe 30 - 40 min then they're dried out and chapped again.  I say this from using it for over a month till I got tired making no headway in fixing my skin and got some Udder Balm at the suggestion of some farmers I know.  I don't really care what kind of alcohol is in it, how much is in it, or even if it has alcohol at all.  It sucks and I don't really care what some website has to say about it.

 

Use what you want tho, makes no difference to me.

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Bro I'm just telling you that O'Keefe makes my hands look good for maybe 30 - 40 min then they're dried out and chapped again.  I say this from using it for over a month till I got tired making no headway in fixing my skin and got some Udder Balm at the suggestion of some farmers I know.  I don't really care what kind of alcohol is in it, how much is in it, or even if it has alcohol at all.  It sucks and I don't really care what some website has to say about it.
 
Use what you want tho, makes no difference to me.


Sorry man, wasn’t trying to start an argument. I was just trying to be analytical about the ingredients.


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  • 3 weeks later...

I switched to a PT Evo grip over the winter and while dry fire wasn’t too bad on my hands 400 rounds of live practice every week leaves my weak hand pretty raw in the same place.

My index and ring finger on my strong hand are getting pretty calloused, my girlfriend doesn’t seem to mind:)

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You can always hit the grip tape with some 200 or 400 sand paper. However, after a few dry fire sessions I get enough dead skin built up to the point where it’s just right.


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On 4/2/2019 at 4:06 AM, MiWiAu said:

Is the stuff you use the O’Keeffe’s Working Hands in the green container? If so, it’s certainly the most reasonably priced of the stuff I’ve seen so far.

 

 

I’m a heavy equipment mechanic. Bulldozers and such. Hard work that’s tough on hands.

 

My other hobby besides shooting is climbing. That means you dust yourself with chalk and then hang from fingertips using holds coarser than your gun’s grips, slip, slide, and skin everything on your way up.

 

So I personally feel VERY qualified to speak on this one...

 

...Working Hands is the best stuff ever. Use it. Nothing heals without being greasy girly stuff like that product does.

 

and second on the athletic tape til you toughen up. Routinely expose yourself to the rough grip so your skin builds toughness, but use tape before it begins to get tender.

 

(Also, nothing develops grip strength like rock climbing. I was lifting weights 8-10 hours a week, and getting into bouldering made me feel like a weak little girl. Climb two routes and 12 minutes after you get there, your forearms are so cooked you can’t make simple holds on a really basic climb.)

 

 

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I’m a heavy equipment mechanic. Bulldozers and such. Hard work that’s tough on hands.
 
My other hobby besides shooting is climbing. That means you dust yourself with chalk and then hang from fingertips using holds coarser than your gun’s grips, slip, slide, and skin everything on your way up.
 
So I personally feel VERY qualified to speak on this one...
 
...Working Hands is the best stuff ever. Use it. Nothing heals without being greasy girly stuff like that product does.
 
and second on the athletic tape til you toughen up. Routinely expose yourself to the rough grip so your skin builds toughness, but use tape before it begins to get tender.
 
(Also, nothing develops grip strength like rock climbing. I was lifting weights 8-10 hours a week, and getting into bouldering made me feel like a weak little girl. Climb two routes and 12 minutes after you get there, your forearms are so cooked you can’t make simple holds on a really basic climb.)
 
 


Thanks for the tips. In addition to the Jack Black’s Industrial Hans Healer, I also picked up some Joshua Tree and Working Hands to try.

I like the Working Hands during the day, because it’s not greasy feeling. The Joshua Tree salve is nice at night before bed since it’s a little greasier and takes a while to absorb.

The athletic tape has helped, and my grips are starting to wear in with some dead skin, so all is going well.

Thanks to all who have made suggestions. :)


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