used razor questions

Good morning SRP,

i was on my way to purchase my first straight razor and got a question from my wife. She wanted to know if there are any risks associated with purchasing a used straight razor. Particularly, she was worried about any potential diseases such as Hep B. Can anybody shed light on whether or not her fears are valid?

Also, i must say that she is trying to prevent me from spending money on a razor because she thinks i won't like it. i've told her before that i don't like shaving my face because it gives me wicked razor burn and the regular razors dull so fast.

i'm going to go to a barber today and have my face shaved with a straight razor and ask him/her a bunch of questions.

What do you think?

Sincerely,
Vincent

Worrying about potential germs is valid.

Take a small jar/cap and ask for some Barbicide. Read the bottle and mix an appropriate amount of Barbicide and water and soak the blade for 10 minutes.

Another approach is take the razor to the barber and have him spray it with Clippercide.

Either method will sterilize the blade.

Good luck and post a pic of what you buy.

I completely agree with Dave's suggestion. The only thing I can add is that few cooties can survive longer than a few hours on a dry surface, so there is very little risk of a razor transferring any disease. However, Barbicide will kill any remaining fear you or your wife may have.

+1 on what Utopian and Rolodave said. No doubt some other "alleged" infectious disease expert will weigh in and contradict them, BUT the truth is that Barbicide, mixed correctly will disinfect anything possibly living on a razor, especially given that the razor has already spent a week transiting from some other locale in the mail, or sitting in a display case in an antique store, and likely has no germs living on it anyway.

So many ways to prevent infectious disease contamination. Yes Barbicide is tried and true also many other products that share its active disinfecting ingredients such as Lysol and Scrubbing bubbles for example. Hibiclense ( CHLORHEXIDINE ) is an excellent wash as well and is used in surgical wound prep etc and readily available at the pharmacy. All of these types of disinfectants are good at killing Hep B and more. Ultraviolet light also effective if you have access to one. if one is really paranoid about contracting Hepatitis B go and get vaccinated at your local big chain pharmacy it lasts for life. As a health care professional I was required to do so in my field because of its general persistence on surfaces. Usually after a razor is cleaned and honed until new metal is exposed whatever could of been on that razor is gone so rest easy. A little judicious cleaning goes a long way to prevent any sort of infection.

+1 on the Hibiclense, but barbicide works just as well I suppose.

Interesting thought, glad my wife is not a hypochondriac! I use rubbing alcohol to clean all razors that I get, figure that would kill just about anything that survived the trip.

I know your in Sac but I purchased a can of clipperside at Herman's Barber Shop and Supply in San Jose. May be able to find some locally or you can buy barbicide at a lot of beauty supply shops (like Sally's). I spray down any new razors, razors I'm selling or anything that has left the bathroom for any amount of time, just in case.
Like others have said, it is pretty low risk that something from 50 - 100 years ago has live bugs on it. But you never know about the guy that thumb pad tested the razor before you walked in. Better safe than sorry.
Besides, it is another thing to aquire with all the money you will save wet shaving ;)

So, have you used an ATM lately?

Not only did I use an atm but used a large public bathroom then decided my strop needed a good palm rubbing.

Yes, but I didnt test the sharpness of the ATM buttons on my thumb or cut my hair or skin on it either. Bacteria and virus are really small, dont take much of an abrasion. Just saying. YMMV, visit the antigue store and lick the blades if you like ;)

There is a good reason we scrub our faces thoroughly with soap.

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Originally Posted by Razorfaust

There is a good reason we scrub our faces thoroughly with soap.

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so that we are clean and don't smell... :)

much as it may be playing with fire I have never worried too much about disinfection (no I wouldn't deliberately get someone elses blood on me or other equally silly things), a few germs here and there are good for you (yes I realise that isn't across the board) and there is a lot of discussion that the rise in antibacterial soaps etc is actually counterproductive in the long run.

I agree Ed though I think concerns are focused most when razors are transferred from one owner to another. After that the cooties are mine and I won't care anymore.

Seems that the answer to this lies in Spain...I can find this book, but alas, no Ottoman and Egyptian straight razor...darn!

Microbial Adhesion and Invasion | Magnus Hook | 9781461277217 | dpd Versand 1461277213 | eBay

You have much more chance of catching something from an ATM, than a properly honed and maintained razor. Not much can soak into steel.

And if you’re really worried, a 10 percent bleach solution will kill anything. Just a Quip’s worth.

Haven’t heard, of the rash of razor born Ebola…or anything else, for that matter.

I think handling money is even worse than the atm lol

Public payphones...now there's a cornucopia of germs, and aimed right where it counts.

You have as much danger of catching a microbiological infection as Phrank does snagging an Ottoman Egyptian.
There! :roflmao

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Originally Posted by Phrank

Public payphones...now there's a cornucopia of germs, and aimed right where it counts.

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I wonder how many infections we saved
ourselves from because the public payphone are almost extinct.

Which brings up the dangers of sharing mobile phones

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Originally Posted by Razorfaust

I wonder how many infections we saved
ourselves from because the public payphone are almost extinct.

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I remember that payphones always used to smell weird

“Public payphones...now there's a cornucopia of germs, and aimed right where it counts.”

Phrank, now you’re just, showing your age…

What’s a payphone? Is that one of those cells, you get at the 7/11, that drug dealers and terrorist use?

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Originally Posted by edhewitt

I remember that payphones always used to smell weird

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Just as long as your shaving gear doesn't smell weird its all good.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Phrank

Public payphones...now there's a cornucopia of germs, and aimed right where it counts.

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You still have payphones in the great white north?

I grew up with tired old public payphones everywhere in the 70's. Used them maybe 20 times, felt nasty.

Hey guys, I have heard the real problem was the strop, as the razor was cleaned off at the barbers on a regular basis, all the cooties would propagate on the leather. Transfer from the strop to the razor was more probable than the other way around, but with that many gents sitting in your chair for a shave the razor was washed regularly the strop was not.

To way in on the other subject of CCO's (cootie carrying objects) MONEY!!!!!

My barber still shaves the sideburns and neck. The first time there I did not see him change the blade in the chavette.
Henceforth, I take one of my razors for him to do his work.

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

“Public payphones...now there's a cornucopia of germs, and aimed right where it counts.”

Phrank, now you’re just, showing your age…

What’s a payphone? Is that one of those cells, you get at the 7/11, that drug dealers and terrorist use?

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Still lots of payphones around here....

Dirtiest thing people touch: TV remotes in hotel rooms. Think about it.

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Originally Posted by Haroldg48

Dirtiest thing people touch: TV remotes in hotel rooms. Think about it.

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Heard that from a multitude of sources.

A TV station in Minneapolis once did an under cover story on motel rooms. Nasty, nasty, nasty. The TV remote was the worst offender and the commode the least.

“Still lots of payphones around here....”

Wow, haven’t seen one in years,

It always freaks me out when the kids, say, What is a …record, hippy, windwing, phone book, mapbook, encyclopedia and other stuff that, does not exist anymore.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

“Still lots of payphones around here....”

Wow, haven’t seen one in years,

It always freaks me out when the kids, say, What is a …record, hippy, windwing, phone book, mapbook, encyclopedia and other stuff that, does not exist anymore.

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Yes, our government insists that Bell keep a certain amount of payphone's in operation, as for many, it is there only access to a phone and it's an important public service. Glad they insist they stay, they are certainly harder to find, but if you need one here in Toronto, you don't have to look to far.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

“Still lots of payphones around here....”

Wow, haven’t seen one in years,

It always freaks me out when the kids, say, What is a …record, hippy, windwing, phone book, mapbook, encyclopedia and other stuff that, does not exist anymore.

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Don't know that one.

What about the handle of the door you need to open to leave a public toilet?? You do what you have to do, wash your hands, dry them in a noisy blower without touching anything... clean hands! Then you have to open the door to get out...

Did the person before you wash his hands? What about the person before him? Or before him?

I imagine money is probably pretty bad. Coins have been sat in possibly hundreds of pockets and tills (cash registers to our US friends) along with handkerchiefs and God knows what else! If anyone thinks they may have any 'dirty' money, PM me for my address and send it to me. I'll take the risk and take it off your hands!!

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Originally Posted by wayne394

What about the handle of the door you need to open to leave a public toilet?? You do what you have to do, wash your hands, dry them in a noisy blower without touching anything... clean hands! Then you have to open the door to get out...

Did the person before you wash his hands? What about the person before him? Or before him?

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The cleanest thing in a public rest room besides my hands is what I take of of my pants to urinate; therefore, I touch nothing except it with my hands, don't wash them, but grab a paper towel to use on the door handle on the way out. I'm 66 and my father taught me this technique, which has served me well.

I've had it! Now im soaking my cash in Barbisol.
err Barbicide :gaah:

I have heard that the seats on the London underground are seething with filth.

I purchased a container and Barbicide and treat any new razor as well as those I use on a regular basis usually once a month. Also good for brushes, combs etc.

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Originally Posted by edhewitt

I have heard that the seats on the London underground are seething with filth.

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You mean tourists.