Hello esteemed SRP members, I humbly ask your support. I just this morning gave myself my first shave with a shavette like "straight razor," and luckily only gave myself one nick and no burn, but that's the subject of another post.

Since telling my father of my interest in straight razor shaving, he has done some digging and found my great grandfathers razor, a "Curley Ideal Safety Razor"

http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Curley_%22Ideal_Safety_Razor%22_6/8

I was hoping one of you might be able to explain the guard looking piece and its role in shaving. For instance, is this guard what make's this str8 "safe?" How would one shave with the guard in place? How would you hone this blade with the guard in the way? How do you rotate the guard (so it looks like the photo in the link here on SRP)? Assuming the guard is part of the actual shaving, is it adjustable or movable (for different beard types, and for left/right handedness?)

I know it's a lot of questions and it's my first post, but I'm on the beginning of what I hope will be a mystical and magical journey into wet shaving, and I want all the information I can get on this heirloom.