This morning I was looking forward to shaving with my current project razor a Lee Mfg. Co. German marked 5/8 quarter hollow blade. I did not do well making my lather today so tried to push through the shave rather than spend the time creating a proper lather (it's just me I was impatient).
The shave was going really well actually until I was doing detail work under my nose- I flipped the blade upside down to get the last bit of stubble in the right nostril area (I do this all the time) but THIS time I slipped and gashed I MEAN GASHED the skin between the nostrils. I have been shaving with a straight for a few months and have gotten pretty decent at it only having the occasional irritation or nick (cut my earlobe pretty good once) but this cut WOULD NOT stop bleeding. Sink looked like a murder scene from a movie.
Reached for the styptic pencil- didn't even slow it down. Big drips of blood still emanating from the cut. I had read somewhere that black pepper was good to use so this was my chance to find out. Caked the black pepper on the cut and applied direct pressure and got it to stop. While I was doing this my wife came home and she was pretty horrified (she was not too keen on me switching to straight razor shaving) she had an "I told you so" look LOL.
The cautionary tale part: just when you think you are starting to figure it out and relax a little- that's when mistakes can happen. This one ALMOST sent me for some stitches on my Labor Day off...
I will be getting some super glue for the shaving kit just in case this happens again. Crisis averted and a story to tell. Those of you just starting out- be careful!
The shave was going really well actually until I was doing detail work under my nose- I flipped the blade upside down to get the last bit of stubble in the right nostril area (I do this all the time) but THIS time I slipped and gashed I MEAN GASHED the skin between the nostrils. I have been shaving with a straight for a few months and have gotten pretty decent at it only having the occasional irritation or nick (cut my earlobe pretty good once) but this cut WOULD NOT stop bleeding. Sink looked like a murder scene from a movie.
Reached for the styptic pencil- didn't even slow it down. Big drips of blood still emanating from the cut. I had read somewhere that black pepper was good to use so this was my chance to find out. Caked the black pepper on the cut and applied direct pressure and got it to stop. While I was doing this my wife came home and she was pretty horrified (she was not too keen on me switching to straight razor shaving) she had an "I told you so" look LOL.
The cautionary tale part: just when you think you are starting to figure it out and relax a little- that's when mistakes can happen. This one ALMOST sent me for some stitches on my Labor Day off...
I will be getting some super glue for the shaving kit just in case this happens again. Crisis averted and a story to tell. Those of you just starting out- be careful!
I have had one decently nasty cut with a straight, and I've made sure not to repeat the same mistake twice. Good to hear that you got everything under control, though.
