Thread: Str8ts: Health Hazard?

Barbercide - mix 1/10 with water to dilute and leave the blade (not scales) in it for 10 minutes.

I dont see the point sterilising scales as they generally wouldnt be in contact with infected cultures. Just a cleanse with warm soap water depending on what material they are.

HCV can't survive outside the human body for more than 2 or 3 weeks. Something like that. So if you isolate the razor/surface for a month (plastic baggie perhaps) or so, you should be good. Then go through the normal sterilization process you would otherwise.

As for items with your own blood, I have a few things I always do as I have something I have no desire to pass on to my significant other or friends/family (damn 80's blood donors!). Actually, I have one thing I do: DO NOT EVER SHARE. Anything. Hunting knives are OK at this point, as I've yet to cut myself, but I share nothing. I'll never sell a straight or brush I've used, toothbrushes stay separate from my girlfriends', etc.

It's really not that hard, as long as you keep in mind what you're dealing with.

The best thing anyone can do, though.....get tested. If you don't know you have something, how can you prevent it's transmission?

Originally Posted by riooso

I use a very strong solution of Clorox and water mixture. I let it soak for about 5 minutes then I rinse and wash with soap. Will this kill everything, including prions?

I believe the answer for the prions would be............................no.

Originally Posted by fazaymin

Prions come from nervous tissue, so unless someone was using your razor to prepare samples you'll be fine.

Why then is there a scare about BSE transmitting to humans as CJD, a fatal disease, from the consumption of beef?

If a razor cuts flesh deep enough to draw blood, isn't it also severing nervous tissue?

I was thinking about this last night since I and probably most everyone else does not have an pressurized autoclave at their disposal......................or do we? What about a pressure canner? I'll have to talk with some who know more about canning than I do, but if a pressure canner can hold temps of 274 Fahrenheit for 18+ minutes, maybe the pressure/temp combo is sufficient to kill the almost unkillable prions? This would be a process for blades only rather than scaled razors. Would 274 Fahrenheit for 20 minutes ruin the temper of a tempered steel blade such as a razor? I wouldn't think so but I know nothing about tempering.

I don't know that I'm concerned enough about taking my own razors to that level of sterilization, but if/when I sell restored razors, maybe others would feel that such a form of sterilization, if it would work and not damage the steel, would be the ultimate in peace of mind?

Chris L

Originally Posted by Chrisl

Why then is there a scare about BSE transmitting to humans as CJD, a fatal disease, from the consumption of beef?

The particular concern is from ground beef, as sometimes spine or brain can be ground in. Even when it's not, a less than surgical slaughtering process (which would include even high quality beef) can end up with spinal fluid dumped all over the steak cuts.

If a razor cuts flesh deep enough to draw blood, isn't it also severing nervous tissue?

No. Trust me, if you've ever severed a nerve, you'd know. If you did it shaving, you'd probably never want to shave again. (I spent a brief time learning the old sideshow human pincushion routine and hit a nerve a couple of times while piercing my cheek. The result: a searing sensation like an electrical shock all over the left side of my face.) Even still, the small nerve endings that are near the skin (and I'm pretty sure there are no nerves in the skin) wouldn't be carrying pryons, I don't think.


On another discussion board, someone who is a neurobiology researcher formerly at a flagship university did a Q & A on CJE/BES during the first scare a few years ago. Basically, the transmission is fairly difficult, just stay away from ground beef. He also recommended slow cooking beef in a smoker over several days until it's cooked through thoroughly, but it's unclear if this was medical advice or gastronomical advice.

The info currently on bleach as a good means for killing Hep C is still being tested and the minimal tests that have been done seem to show that HCV is much more resistant than other virus, requiring something like a 10 minute soak in 90% NaOCl (bleach) solution. But the bleach commercially available is between 3% and 6%, so it may or may not be effective. Can't hurt though, right.

Anyone know anything about UV light as a means for disinfecting? A quick search shows it's promising, but not specifically for HCV.

Good point though, RayG, you can never be too careful.

Originally Posted by Chrisl

Would 274 Fahrenheit for 20 minutes ruin the temper of a tempered steel blade such as a razor? I wouldn't think so but I know nothing about tempering.

Ruin? probably not. You would, in effect be tempering a little bit of the heat treat out of the blade, thus softening the edge to some degree, maybe not noticeable, maybe detrimental, it would depend on how the razor was heat treated in the first place and exactly what the metallurgical composition is.

I wouldn't do it, for the simple reason that leaving it out in the sun (UV exposure) and then bathing in bleach after/during a quarantine period is much less risky.

This subject comes up every 4 months or so.....
And this time I would like to go on record, Anyone who has any razors that they don't feel safe shaving with please PM me and I will promptly dispose of them for you NO COST except shipping one way

Originally Posted by gssixgun

This subject comes up every 4 months or so.....
And this time I would like to go on record, Anyone who has any razors that they don't feel safe shaving with please PM me and I will promptly dispose of them for you NO COST except shipping one way

Glen, I decided to ship all of my razors out to you after giving this some careful thought. You should receive them by the end of the week..........................
















JUST KIDDING!!!!!

Chris L

Seems like people are getting a bit obsessive about this.

Worried about Prions?

Put on some serious surgical gloves when you pick up the package from your mailbox. Open the package outside, near a fireplace, and drop the package, razor box, and any other paper or packing that came with the razor in the fire.

Now, take your razor and drill out the pins and toss the scales in the fire after the packaging materials.

Now drop your razor in a pressurized autoclave at 274 degrees fahrenheit.

Be sure to strip off the gloves and throw them in the fire after the scales.

Oh, you'll probably have to toss your drill press into the fire because it won't fit in the $25,000 autoclave that has an interior cavity that is 12" wide.


Okay, once the autoclave shuts off, you are probably safe--or did you touch the outside of the autoclave with your gloves?

If you did, you will need to put on another pair of gloves before touching the autoclave, and then open the autoclave.

Then remove the gloves and throw them in the fire with the drill press.

Then remove the razor (or what is left of it) and place it on your bathroom counter.

Now put on a 3rd pair of gloves and throw the autoclave in the fire, since you touched the outside of it with the gloves you used to open the razor box.

Now throw the 3rd pair of gloves in the fire with the drill press and the autoclave.

Viola, a completely safe razor.

Now where are you going to get replacement scales that you can be sure have no prions on them?

Hmmm, I'm stumped by that one.



There is more junk floating around in the air, on your bathroom surfaces, in your clothing and your bedding than would be on a razor you just washed in hot water and put away.

Think about it.

Clean it. Sanitize it by removing any clinging soil and loose corrosion when it arrives. Rinse it for several minutes under your hottest tap and then dry it. It will radiate heat for several minutes and all water will be off the surfaces.

This alone will reduce bacteria and viral counts to background levels, which is good enough.

If you are unfortunate enough to encounter prions on the blade, and you get them on you, well, you are probably f*cked.

You and Howard Hughes.

$.02