Thread: Does one have to pay (in blood) to play?

Does one have to pay (in blood) to play?

This morning just wasn't right. I broke my usual routine. That's not the excuse or reason, just the signpost I should have seen that might have saved that chunk of skin I lost today.

My barber friend--the one who gave me my trusty blades--and I just talked about how that first moment when you apply the blade to the skin, how it is the moment.

Well, for me, the first moment was fine, but I got careless on the second stroke. OUCH! Aw, $#@!, that's gonna bleed.

The bleeding could have been worse, actually. The thin chunk of skin sort of sat right back on top of the bloody bit beneath. It was gonna be red, but at least not gushing.

By the time I got home from work, it was that awful crusty dark, dark red. The flap hadn't reattached and wasn't going to, so I took some scissors and cut it off.

The rest of the shave was nice, but I have to say, that nick today made it one of the worst shaves ever. The scar will stick around for a bit.

How about others? Does one have to pay in blood to play with straight razors?

So far I have not made a real slice ... yet. But small nicks happen often, at least one every three shaves, I'd estimate. All in all, shaving was much worse for me during my DE years. I hated it, prepped poorly and made a bloody mess out of it each time I shaved (not all that often). I have drawn far less blood since I went straight.

My only 'bad' cuts have come from inattention. Dug in a spike, set down a very sharp edge at the wrong angle, got a little cocky and went too fast, etc. The worst I've had was on the back of my head - you've gotta be careful when you're shaving blind!

I generally cut myself (little nicks around the nose or under the earlobe) when I'm using a new razor for the first time because everyone of them is a little different.

I get a minor weeper probably once a week, but nothing deep, and I've only needed to break out the styptic pencil a couple of times. (more than 5, less than 10)

I've yet to need anything more than cold water to help stop a minor cut, but those happen once or twice a week for me

I'm very new to straights but have had a few shaves now... I found that during my first shave i sliced myself with a little side action... a minor slice, but it was a bleeder. other than that cut i have only had minor nicks when going against the grain... I havent made a map to know which way the grain goes in my beard and i havent paid attention so my little nicks are just little spots it bleeds... but next shave will be completely 'planned' out I hope for the best shave of my life... but that's asking for a lot hahaha, so a good shave will be good.

I think it certainly used to be a valid form of 'payment'. The barber's pole with its red and white stripes is meant to symbolise the bloodied bandages typically found at a barber's hundreds of years ago. Of course, that was back when barbers were surgeons as well, and when blood-letting was a normal procedure to help a variety of ailments.

The blue stripe got added apparently in a fit of national pride by American barbers. In the UK a barber's pole does indeed tend to be red and white only, if you can find one that is.

I cut myself only every few months now, but strangley no longer on my face. It tends to happen when I stop respecting the blade whilst handling it -- stropping, honing, just switching hands... they've all led to me slicing open my fingers and thumb.

[Edit: BTW, the avatar I'm currently using is in fact a close-up enhanced photo of a smalll blood vessel which has been severed -- those little red blobs are red blood cells leaking out of the blue capillary. I nabbed it from the Wellcome Institute's website.]

I haven't nicked or cut myself in a long time. Now having said that I'll probably cut the crap out of myself tomorrow morning.

Originally Posted by wopmanfixit

I haven't nicked or cut myself in a long time. Now having said that I'll probably cut the crap out of myself tomorrow morning.

Yup! You have jinxed yourself for sure...