My first serious cut with a straight razor

I've been almost exclusively shaving with a straight razor for about two months now. I've gotten really comfortable with it. At first it was terrifying, especially shaving my neck. But I never cut myself, until today. I have had a few nicks, especially on my neck, where I tend to have goose pimples and very tender skin, but no cuts. Today I was in a bit of a rush and I was going to go with a one pass WTG shave, just to knock the stubble off before meeting with work people for drinks and a casual meeting. But while shaving my left cheek, usually a very easy area, I pulled my elbow just a little, and instead of stroking straight down, I did a slight slicing motion, and I cut myself in a way that only a straight razor can do. I had to put a band-aid on my face. Can anyone relate? It became a topic of conversation at my meeting, and anyone I might have had a chance at convincing to move away from canned goop and cartridges will never take my shaving advice seriously. It was embarrassing. The band-aid might as well have been egg.

Sorry about the cut. Maybe we liars have a different solution? For this liar, when alum or styptic were insufficient, I used something called Monsel's solution. Regardless of the cut, it stops the bleeding. Most times, just alum, patience, and pressure were sufficient. Hope you heal quickly, sir.

I've never cut myself that much, my worst cut was with a DE actually, though it was because I hadn't tightened the razor properly (sliced off a generous sliver of the outermost skin, burned like h*ll). But I've cut myself several times, just not so much as to make me even consider using a band-aid.
But in case of cuts, get an alum block or stick. It may close up a gash in a less conspicous way than a band aid.
However, I have a confession. I almost never shave in the morning before work or study. Furthermore my beard growth is not even moderate, it's very meagre in fact (though it still needs shaving). So It isn't really strange that I've never cut myself that much; I'm never shaving when I'm in a rush, and my face doesn't offer much in the way of resistance to my razors. I have, and make, an easier time for me, simply put.
My best but, rather feeble, advice? Don't hurry.

i have always been ok with alum or a styptic pencil. It happens occasionally, and it's embarrassing to explain to people when they ask what happened! I've been blaming my 2 year old and his fingernails inn those rare occasions.

I will also say that there are mornings when I'm in a rush, and those are DE mornings.

Shaving with a straight in the morning would leave me looking like a tic-tac-toe game! I shave after I get home from work and have a shower....no need to rush and I'm not squinting through half closed eyes and using a still mostly asleep brain *shudders*!

No bad cuts for me after learning, in fact no bad ones while learning, just a few nicks. I'll occasionally still get a little "love bite" at the base of my neck if I'm not careful getting a good stretch in this area.

Keep Neosporin or other antibacterial on it, it helps healing.

There's a limit to how much you can relax with a straight no matter how experiencd you are. Be sure to mind the basics, a well-honed edge, a good slick soap, a good stretch, and pay attention while you're shaving, no daydreaming or distractions.

Cheers, Steve

Sympathies! and I understand how this happened ... we get comfortable in the routine. Not overconfident, comfortable.

And in the end, it's like driving: one moment of (fill in the blank) is all it takes.


AA

Polysporin for the cat scratches you get if you rest your straight on your face. Gets the red (not blood) out.

A post where I apparently said something to the effect that anyone who says they've never cut themselves is probably a liar was deleted by a moderator. I sincerely apologize for calling no one in particular a liar, and I hope that no one in particular was offended in any way. I intend to be more respectful and gentlemanly in the future.

In all seriousness, I really did not intend to be disrespectful. It's not really a bad cut, it's pretty much invisible today. I only meant to say that anyone can cut themselves shaving with a straight razor, and I felt like I probably shouldn't be terribly ashamed of myself. If you truly have never cut yourself, I don't actually think you're a liar, just probably more careful than I was. It does annoy me that my post was deleted, because I really didn't intend to be offensive or to disparage anyone, or besmirch anyone's character. But if you were somehow offended, I apologize. I can't go back and read my post, because it was deleted, and possibly I came off more aggressively than I intended.

No worries. I just assumed frustration (or booze) drove the post. I for one have cut myself plenty. One time I went into a store and the woman at the checkout counter asked if I shaved with a jack knife. It was a kamisori that had almost been flung across the bathroom earlier in the day.

In any case, I don't think we "lie" per se. We are perhaps a bit prone to exaggeration and/or self-deception, though.

It was booze. In the interest of honesty, I'll admit to that. I've learned not to drunk dial, drunk text, or drunk email (especially work emails), and now I can add to that list of learned lessons, not to drunk post on B&B. I love this forum, and I really genuinely respect all of you for your generous giving of information and the general feeling of good will that I feel every time I log on. I'll keep it classy gents.

Straight shaving, riding motorcycles, using firearms, these are activities that one must never become 100% at ease with. Calm, yes, but always watchful and respectful of what they are capable of.

Clicked on thread for gory pictures.....feeling unsatisfied.

My cuts with a straight have never really been deep, just super fine and with some neosporin gone in a day or 2. Since I'm not evangelizing, I often take a day or 2 off or 5 off from shaving and it's all good.

Shaving with a straight razor without cutting yourself once in a while is inevitable. The more experience the lower the risk. Nowadays I seldom give myself a cut, but I have a slowly fading scar that accentuates the deep cleft in my chin. I thought the blade had no skin contact when I pulled it down. I was wrong. Even so a small weeper, that heals from one pass to another, is only to be expected if you like me always go for a three pass BBS.
If you are a young man remember: Chicks digs scars.

I still have a very visible line about 2 inches long that is half way between my sideburns and my jaw, and I gave myself that cut almost two months ago. It didn't seem deep, but it took a ton of styptic to staunch the bleeding, and I had a roll of skin at the bottom of the cut to trim away afterwards. It may leave a permanent scar, but I look at it as the price we pay for learning this art. The more I shave, the fewer cuts I get, as I feel most here would agree. Also, it's kind of heartening to read the journals of men with hundreds of shaves under their belt describe some of the same "Murphy bites" from time to time. It helps keep me grounded and realize that I am doing OK, even with the hiccups.

Proinsias said:

Clicked on thread for gory pictures.....feeling unsatisfied.

Click to expand...

Well, here's what I looked like after my worst shave

Sorry to hear this...
It happened to me twice in almost 10 months: upper lip and chin. Profound cut, 1 cm length. Band aid for 2 days.

Why? Lack of concentration. Since then and because this hobby allows zero tolerance, I adopted slow shaving. I enjoy it a lot....like slow food !


Best luck !

Nearly every nick seems to come when I'm feeling pressed for time. Coincidence? Probably not. I never shave without a shower first. I do believe this helps prevent cuts as well. The skin must be prepared.

Try cutting completely half way through your thumb. this after shaving with straights for 25 years. Getting 7 internal and 13 external stitches and having permanent numb spots in your thumb. That's why I now use DE's and permanently shelved my wonderful collection of straights. The pictures are too gory for this forum.