I just had a quick conversation with my ma and older brother about straights.
They are both totally against it because of the danger factor.
has anyone here ever cut themselves with a straight? and if so, how bad?
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I just had a quick conversation with my ma and older brother about straights.
They are both totally against it because of the danger factor.
has anyone here ever cut themselves with a straight? and if so, how bad?
Welcome to the forums. Now on your question, I think you'll find that almost everyone here has cut themselves in some way during the learning process. The same edge that gives us all that "comfortable shave" can slice your skin if you are not careful. During your first few shaves, most here would recommend that you shave just part of your face to give you the "feel" of a straight and let you learn. Shave only the sides of you face which are easier and do not attempt your chin which is the hardest to master. DO NOT LET OTHERS DISCOURAGE YOU FROM TRYING A STRAIGHT. Once you try it,,YOU'LL NEVER GO BACK.
Have fun.
no worse than a safety razor and rarely.
I've had two pretty nasty cuts, one in my nose, and one on my chin.Both left scars, but thats what you get when you try to shave in a hurry......TWICE!:gth
I am new to this and have cut myself but not bad if your careful you will not cut yourself worse than with the razor your shaving with now. The same rules apply to both straights and disposables, if you take the blade across your face in a slicing motion you will cut yourself. It is a sharp, sharp blade but if you take your time and learn all you can before you start you will be fine!! Use the knowledge on this site to help you on your path to a great shave, hell show your mom the site let her do some looking. A straight razor is only dangerous if you make it dangerous. :gl:
Use a little common sense and have extreme respect for the razor and you will be fine!
do you cut yourself with a pocket knife while cleaning under your fingernails? Do you cut yourself with nail clippers or hair trimmers? how about while using a chefs knife to slice vegetables? I bet the answer is no or rarely, and that would be because you learned to use them right and have respect for what they can do if not used properly!
Be careful and you will make it, we did!:gl:
A lot of people have that fear of straight razors,maybe because they are frequently used as slicing weapons in movies.They don't realize that razors are tools and that EVERYONE who shaved back in the early days used a straight.(that's all there was).I can just picture fathers and young sons going over details of shaving and then young boys actually using a straight razor at a very young age with the concerned father watching.Nowadays we just lob the kid a bic and a can of goo and say "go ahead".
Welcome to the forum. As far as your question: Yes, it is a sharp instrument-learn to use it properly and respect it and not fear it. How many times have you ever heard of a serious shaving injury?
Danger factor-? Drunk driving,buying a new 150 horsepower sport bike with no motorcycling experience-giving a 17 y/o kid a new Corvette-now,IMO, they are "Danger Factors".
Seriously,given the history of shaving- men have shaved with Str8 razors longer than they shaved with modern safety razors. Spend some time lurking about on this forum. ASK QUESTIONS- that is how you will learn. Danger?-:hmmm: Nope.....I've gotten FAR more nicks and cuts from DE and "cartridge" razors than I have with a Str8.
I recently started shaving with a Straight razor and I heard all the same stuff about people dying. It didn't help that Sweeney Todd was just released and all I could hear from people is OMG DON'T CUT YOUR THROAT LIKE SWEENEY TODD. Straight razors are safe when used correctly, similar to a car. Rush around like a maniac and you'll get into an accident. Take your time and learn the ropes and you'll be fine except for a few minor cuts here and there.
To my knowledge there has never been a case of a person seriously injuring himself while shaving. Superficial cuts are no more common than with any other razor blade, either. The two most dangerous times are when you first start out and once you think you've "mastered" it and lose respect for your blade. When you first start out, you'll probably get a few nicks, but nothing to write home about. Irritation and red spots, probably due to a combination of poor technique and trying to use a blade you honed ineffectively yourself (practice makes perfect).
Then you'll probably get to the stage where you're delighted with your uncanny prowess with your straight razor and start getting cavalier with it. Damn, I'm good, swish, swish.... flick, swish,flourish, OOOOHHHH DAMN that's gonna leave a mark. :(.
Razors aren't dangerous, the people using them are! Sorry, cliche attack. Seriously, using a razor isn't dangerous - you might nick yourself, but you probably won't slit your throat unless you have a badly timed and very accurate seziure.
But a couple thoughts -
1. be sure when you shave with a straight that no one can bang into you. My bathroom door opens into me when I'm shaving, and my kids and wife are very good at doing the banging without announcing themselves, so I alwasy open the door before I start - if I was doing my neck and they banged the door into my arm.....I don't wanna think about it. :chop:
2. don't liet you hands get so wet that you don't have a good grip - some nasty stories from dropping razors on feet, or dropping razor and then catching it on reflex (oooowwwwwcccchhhhhh). :mad: If you drop it, get out of the way. Just let it go.:nono:
3. wear pants when you shave - see 2. above about dropping razors......:chop:
Mark said it. Common sense. That's all it takes. Mike said it too when he suggested letting no one else talk you out of it. Make your own decisions in life! If you are the type of person who has always wanted to drag a sharp blade across your throat to see how much pressure it takes to get to the jugular veins, then I'd say your common sense should tell you whether or not to get a straight. Sometimes I'm sarcastic.
I've shaved with a straight for several years, and used a shavette (straight with disposable blades) for many more. I've had several minor nicks that were no more than annoying. Nothing serious.
But when I was younger I also used a mach 3, and I had a similar amount of nicks.
If you use a straight responsibly, the danger factor is negligible. We have thousands of members shaving themselves daily, and none of them has accidentally beheaded himself yet afaik ;)
Only if you have medical conditions like haemophilia, or proncounced scarring on your face or a skin condition, or ... then you have to address those concerns individually.
But don't let others discourage you from this activity, which can be very rewarding and beneficial to your face. Shaving is fun, and can become a hobby / treat instead of a chore.
A straight razor is honestly about as dangerous as a kitchen knife. In foolish hands you can cut yourself, but you'll heal. Take your time and enjoy the shave and you shouldn't experience any problems. This is how people shaved for countless generations and it was good enough for them.
X
Don't be afraid of the blade, but respect it! I have shaved since October and I have had only two cuts that have left a mark, however not permanent marks. But then you also manage to get a few nicks or cuts that aren't very serious. The thing is also when you do mess up it is always because you weren't paying attention and remember that getting a knick or cut really doesn't hurt very much..a paper cut is way more painful!
Ps. I can strongly recomend straight shaving, you cant get a better shave and you cant feel more delighted after a shave. I used to hate shaving, I did anything to avoid it (my mother use to call me bin Ladin due to this:mad:)..but now I really cant wait till my beard grows back and I can shave again:D
I think most of the really bad cuts are from "accidents," from the razor slipping out of the hand and falling on some body part, or from being startled, or bumped by another person, and so on. If you isolate yourself in the bathroom, pay close attention and concentrate fully (not a good time for daydreaming) on what you are doing, you will likely cut yourself, like had been mentioned, but not dangerously so. I get more cuts from Gillettes.
I agree with everything else said here.
For me, my only fear is dropping my razor. That fear is almost entirely about ruining a razor. A slight bit afraid that I will try and catch the razor on its way down, which I've already done once and got a bit of a scrape. I highly recommend not doing this. Finally, even less than slight fear that it will touch me on the way down.
Dangerous? Not really. I have managed to nick myself a few times, but then, I had the same type of accidents with other types of razors as well.
In one of my first shaves with a shavette I looked like a cat attacked me. Onother time I was in a hurry and cut myself right on the chin.. these cuts were all so clean that they heal very quickly. just a couple of days and they are gone..
So if your in a hurry just dont shave or use something else.. you dont have to use the straight if you dont feel like it...
I decided to do a quick one pass shave with the shavette if I'm in a hurry.. saves me time on the stropping and a one pass shave is acceptable (but not as pleasurable as a full three pass shave with a hot towel and a "real" straight)
The danger of the straight outweigh the advantages by far for me.. my skin feel a lot better and I'm having fun shaving..
just have fun..
Maarten
not dangerous but it can be fatal if you slit your neck.
how bad? well if your intention is to slice your jugular vien or wrist then with enough concentration you can do it. but not as easy as a regular knife because the razor is just micro sharp enough to cut tiny bits of facial hairs not bigger stuff. dont be afraid of the razor, be aware of the position of the razor's edge and learn how to use it correctly. (alot of free great advise here at srp) . if you just want to shave then the only dangerous thing that can happen is that you accidently slice a tiny bit of skin ,it wont be dangerous that you will be deformed or loose blood and die....just tiny cuts that heal without scars, maybe razor burn at first.( i'm newbie going on my 3 rd shave..takes me forever becuase i'm still learning. i had like 10 cuts the 1st time, 5 cuts the 2nd time, 1 cut the 3rd time.) not bad..good shaving, im out.
C'mon man, seriously?
Dont sweat the dangers- it's not like you're trying to shave with a chainsaw. Respect the blade like you would any other potentially dangerous tool (kitchen knife, gun, car, etc), and you'll be just fine. Read all the information on here about how to shave and go at it educated instead of paranoid. If you end up with a scar, which is unlikely, chicks dig scars :D
Its amazinging how fast you can feel a cut.
JUST HOW DANGEROUS IS A STRAIGHT!?
About as dangerous as the operator... I've had more nicks with a safety razor than a straight.
Exactly. This also relates to what Robert (Papa Bull) said. Just go slowly and carefully, and you will most likely feel the razor bite before it does any damage more than a nick.
There have been some youtube videos showing folks shaving rather quickly and with a nonchalant attitude. It would do you well to watch Lynn's youtube video, to see the pace at which someone who has been doing this for 30 years shaves.
+ 1 to papabull
I asked the clerk how bad it can get, and he told me bout this guy that glanced his cheek.
this guy got about 3 or 4 stitches.
my old man gave my brother a straight before joining the navy, they took it from him. and ya, I dont think sweeney todd flicks help much.
as far as drunk drivers being more dangerous....Ive heard a small percentage of all total accidents are from drunk driving. So isnt the real problem the sober drivers? I'm not making any kind of point. Its just something I wonder about.
Sure straight razors are dangerous. Anyone who claims they aren't is fooling themselves. Like others have mentioned, there are many tools we use daily that are potentially dangerous if used improperly. But we learn to use them. Automobiles come to mind. You could slice the hell out of your face with a safety razor, but it would take some effort of will to do that. Not so much with a straight.
I think one key to using a straight razor safely is confidence. Hesitancy with a straight razor is probably responsible for a great many facial cuts and slices. Kind of a catch 22.
Scott
Depends on how many Margaritas I’ve had. :nono::gaah::thinking::roflmao
Like Loueedacat I will steal the cliche. Straight razors don't cut people, people cut people. It is like a gun. If a person learns and uses safe gun handling they will not have accidents with a gun. I would venture the same goes for a razor. Not saying you won't get a nick but that isn't dangerous IMO. You probably won't even get that if you read my sig line and follow the advice as I have. :tu
I bet the 4 stitches hurt more, and left longer lasting marks than the cut itself. And the over zealous medics had probably opened the wound up wider first to clean it.
Re drink driving, I got annoyed by anti-drink-driving adverts that were clearly quoting meaningless statistics, so I looked up some figures direct from the UK Government websites. I compared the percentage of accidents that involved drink drivers, against the percentage of random breath tests that passed positive. This is a meaningful comparison for gauging how dangerous drunk drivers really are.
It turned out that the percentage of accidents that involved drink drivers was LOWER than the percentage of random breath tests that passed positive.
This is especially surprising when you bear in mind that the "percentage of accidents that involved drink drivers" is skewed higher by the fact that you are testing both drivers when 2 or more vehicles are involved.
I won't tell you what to conclude, but next time you hear a drink drive statistic ask yourself if they are making a meaningful comparison, or even any comparison at all.
I do have a point. There are lies, damned lies and statistics.
Well now, son, the answer to your original question, "How dangerous is a straight?" depends on how dangerous YOU are!
Me, I can be dangerous with a straight, a golf club, a Glock, a knife, a pen (mightier than the sword, y'know)...even a cucumber if it comes right down to it.
I are one dangerous lady! :chop:
I've gotten worse nicks from my "safety"-razors than my straight razors.
Just take your time and be careful. :gl:
I always put mine away safe when there are visitors or children in the house. It worries me that the natural things kids do is feel how sharp an edge is. Razors are not for playing with. Other than that,...............
I've been there on the last part of that sentence, when a half-grown cat sitting on my chest suddenly got scared--OOOOUUUUCCCHHH! :cry:
Also, our cat who had to be put sleep last year...when he was a tiny kitten (weighing 1 pound), one time he actually climbed up onto the bathtub side, looked at me soaking in the hot bathtub, and then stepped out onto my chest and curled up there!!! You talk about being scared, sitting there soaking with a kitten curled up on the top of my chest... :eek:
Anyway, not to hijack the thread or anything... :D
Let me guess how the warnings in the original post went. Something like this, right? "Oh, you don't wanna ever go near one of those old-fashioned 'neck-slicers', did you know your third cousin Eddy's best friend's neighbor's boss once slashed his neck CLEAN OPEN with one a them things? Bled out INSTANTLy and for years afterwards there was a big, brown stail ALL OVER THE FLOOR!" :rant:
Cutting oneself with a straight razor is far from being the most dangerous thing about straight razor shaving... no... not at all... with careful shaving, respect for the blade and your face and careful learning, you will surely do well without much blood spilled...
No the real danger, and I mean REAL DANGER, is for your wallet... no, seriously... if you get stung by the RAD bee, infected by the HAD disease, or bitten by the SAD dog, or worse by all of them, you will learn the real meaning of the word DANGER. :mace:
:jedi: Even the dark side of the Force is meaningless when facing any shaving AD related problems...
You have been warned!
A straight razor treats right the straight razor shaver, but can harm other people.
So, store the razors away from kids and people in general. This is dangerous for them, not for you.
Aside from one small scar, which the females seem to like, my only harm is on the wallet, like Ockham said.