Thread: Will straight razor cut my throat?

I know this may sound ignorant but my girlfriend is afraid that I will cut my throat and bleed to death. This is because I am currently using a five blade cartridge and walk away with razor burn and a little blood from every shave. I think this is because the blades do not stay sharp and I feel like I'm applying more pressure. What is the real threat here? I understand that when using a straight you apply almost zero pressure. Any thoughts are welcome. Thanks

Unless your name is Sweeny Todd you'll be safe... No member here has bleed out yet, or at least they haven't said anything about it if they did

Hello, and welcome to the forum. It's highly unlikey you will cut your throat and bleed to death. You may get the occasional nick, or irritation. Once you learn to use the razor properly, it'll give you the closest shave possible. Read through the WIKI here, check out the videos, and also check youtube. There's a guy called "Mantic59" he has lot's of str8 razor and shaving videos. I'm also in Jacksonville. I live on the Westside....

Rich

A straight will cut your throat,your finger,your ear, your chin, your cheek. It is very sharp, but i think you will be just fine !!!!!!

I cut my throat twice this morning, but it wasn't that bad. It looks kind of like I have two "hickeys" and girls look at me and think I'm hot. I'm not hot, but I'm not telling them.

Unless you have a seizure disorder or other condition that might cause involuntary muscle spasms, you'll probably be ok.

Originally Posted by Bgood0485

I know this may sound ignorant but my girlfriend is afraid that I will cut my throat and bleed to death.

Illogical

Yep, what they said. If you have the physical aptitude to slice bread you'll do just fine. Also, don't shave while playing basketball or ice hockey You would have to really try to do damage like she is suggesting. Most straight cuts are much more towards the paper cut end of things. Straights just freak a lot of people out; unfamiliar + sharp + near large arteries = fear.

My theory:

. . . The straight razor is so obviously dangerous that people are really careful with it.

Don't shave in the shower, don't shave naked, don't shave rushed, etc.

If you want to keep everybody happy, get an inexpensive double-edge razor (an old Gillette from an antique shop, or a new Weishi from eBay) and some Feather blades. [The razor is a 'safety razor' because it won't let you cut very deep into your skin, even if you use it badly.]

That will give you experience in using a single, _really sharp_, blade to shave with.

However, if you use _any_ pressure, the Feather blade will scrape a bit of skin off, and you'll be encouraged to use a lighter touch.

After a bit of that practice, you'll find it easier to switch to a straight razor. [Or you'll decide that double-edge razors suit you!]

Charles

I'm also beginning with straights and have a wicked combination of sensitive skin with a tough patchy beard. Modern cartridges used to leave my skin like a mine field of ingrown hairs and irritation.
So far I have found that using a vintage "twist to open" style double edge safety razor has been a great way to get the feel of what a using a "light touch" while shaving really means. My first few shaves revealed that I had quite a heavy hand. It took several shaves before it became comfortable and my skin had healed from the cartridge razors. Now with my Gillette Slim adjustable razor shaving is a joy.
If you decide to start with safety razors I recommend the Merkur DE blades to start out with, they're very smooth. The Feather blades are the sharpest and will cause quite a burn if you unknowingly have a heavy hand like me.
Good luck! Wet shaving is the best!