How to pickle your hands and other advice for aspiring prizefighters

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by janitor, Nov 29, 2008.


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  1. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Over the years fighters have used various treatments to harden their hands face and torso, particularly in the bareknuckle period. Here are some of the mixtures that have been used over the years to my knowledge.

    The Nat Langham method
    Nat Langham is a middleweight of the 1800s best known for defeating Tom Sayers and pioneering consistent use of the jab. He used a mixture of horseradish, whisky and hedgehog fat aplied to his hands.

    The Jem Mace method
    Jem Mace used a mixture of gunpowder, green vitriol and whisky which was aplied to his hands face and torso. Sam Hurst seems to have used a similar mixture. I dont know when the practice originated. This treatment turned the fighters hands black and prizefighters of the period could always be recognised as such by this teltale feature.

    The American method
    While Mace and other British fighters used gunpowder and vitriol American fighters such as Tom Allen used Turpentine. This method seems to have been more efective than the solution used by British fighters as it was later adopted by them.

    The Jack Dempsey method
    Jack Dempsey is the only fighter of the gloved era who I know to have used some sort of treatment. He aplied brine to his hands and face to harden them.

    The Janitor method
    While at university I took work as a refuse collector to pay my bills. This involved running 15 miles a day behind the dustbin waggon throwing dustbin bags in the back which had been put into piles in the street. This work caused the skin on my hands and feet to split with all myt fingers bleeding at the tips. One old boy who had been doing the job for 20 years saw the problem and gave me a recipe for a mixture to treat my hands and feet. I have long since lost the recipe (wish I hadnt) but the main constituent was vinegar. The mixture was verry efective and it seems to have worked on the same principle as the treatments used by early fighters.
     
    janitor, Nov 29, 2008
    janitor, Nov 29, 2008
    #1
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  2. PowerPuncher

    PowerPuncher Loyal Member Full Member

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    It would be more prudent to wrap them thickly and tight with plenty of tape and use plenty of vaseline on the face :D
     
    PowerPuncher, Nov 29, 2008
    PowerPuncher, Nov 29, 2008
    #2
  3. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    One does not preclude the other.

    Dempsey at least would have taped his hands.
     
    janitor, Nov 29, 2008
    janitor, Nov 29, 2008
    #3
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  4. Unforgiven

    Unforgiven VIP Member banned Full Member

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    Joe Frazier would soak his face in brine too. Or "rock salt and water" I think it says in his book.
     
    Unforgiven, Nov 29, 2008
    Unforgiven, Nov 29, 2008
    #4
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  5. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    Interesting.

    Did he do the same with his hands?
     
    janitor, Nov 30, 2008
    janitor, Nov 30, 2008
    #5
  6. bulakenyo

    bulakenyo Am I a boxing fan yet? Full Member

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    How about those Shaolin monks, practicing ancient hand toughening techniques? Firmly slapping/punching on a bag full of grains (palm, knuckles, back of the hand) hours upon hours every day, for years.

    They say it desensitizes the hand, gives a thicker, tougher layer of skin, strengthens the hand muscles and ligaments and it helps them to be able to smash bricks with their palms and their knuckles.

    Do you think that it can help boxers toughen their hands more? Kinda like cross training. With proper supervision from an expert of course.
     
    bulakenyo, Nov 30, 2008
    bulakenyo, Nov 30, 2008
    #6
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  7. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    bump
     
    janitor, Mar 11, 2009
    janitor, Mar 11, 2009
    #7
  8. jones1

    jones1 Active Member Full Member

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    Interesting stuff, whos that guy that got those metal plates surgically put around his eyes to prevent cuts? Can't remember the name.
     
    jones1, Mar 11, 2009
    jones1, Mar 11, 2009
    #8
  9. Rebel-INS

    Rebel-INS Mighty Healthy Full Member

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    Never heard that story before, but I remember hearing a story that Mate Parlov had some form of prosthesis on his face against Conteh? Any truth in that?
     
    Rebel-INS, Mar 11, 2009
    Rebel-INS, Mar 11, 2009
    #9
  10. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    Napoles got his cheekbones shaved off and i think used a mask in sparring

    brillaint stuff janitor wish you hadnt lost your recipe

    do you think they really harden your hands and are they still legal
     
    GPater11093, Mar 12, 2009
    GPater11093, Mar 12, 2009
    #10
  11. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Interesting thead. Thanks for the information Janitor
     
    mr. magoo, Mar 12, 2009
    mr. magoo, Mar 12, 2009
    #11
  12. seanc

    seanc New Member Full Member

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    did ricky hatton not get an operation on his face to stop him cutting up?
     
    seanc, Mar 12, 2009
    seanc, Mar 12, 2009
    #12
  13. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    Interesting, bump.
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Dec 10, 2018
    BitPlayerVesti, Dec 10, 2018
    #13
  14. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

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    I have heard that some fighters have had the bone above the eyes ground down to prevent cuts.
     
    Seamus, Dec 10, 2018
    Seamus, Dec 10, 2018
    #14
  15. superman1692

    superman1692 Active Member Full Member

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    So basically that's what they call Iron Palm training. I think it can help boxers toughen their hands - I feel like modern boxers don't do that enough, they rely on punching with gloves too often. Look at the old-fashioned bag gloves fighters used to use, they're simply there to prevent the skin from tearing when hitting the heavy bag - otherwise you might as well be hitting the bag barehanded. Too many fighters these days only practice hitting the bag with full-sized gloves on, when I feel it would be better to practice knuckle placement when hitting, which is one thing the old-time fighters used to do all the time.
     
    superman1692, Dec 10, 2018
    superman1692, Dec 10, 2018
    #15
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