Sick and Shaving. Oh! What to do?

In the olden days before safety razors the SR was the only edge available for shaving. I have been sick for about four weeks now; seemingly unable to rattle the infection...the tragedies of elder years. I have a few single edge safety razors I keep on hand to shave with rather than my SR. How many floating around in this mystic world resort to the safety razor during these periods of illness or do you remain staunch about using your SR. I just can't do it. No stamina, no energy, no passion. Just want to get that damned hair off and go back to bed, or cover up and watch some stupid movie. How about you.

Yep! Know what you mean. I have severe back problems and when it is really acting up I get sharp, stabbing pains which causes me to jerk. When that happens the last thing I want in my hand is a straight razor as it could cause me to cut my throat and if its a really bad one it may not be an accident.........

When I'm sick I generally don't shave at all. Get a beard going. For a few years I used to feel that I had to shave with a straight and the DE/SE were 'contraptions'. Now I enjoy shaving DE/SE as much as with a straight.

GET WELL SOON !

I've been dealing with some nerve issues in my leg the last few months and it's been DEs pretty much all the time lately. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to the straights soon.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I've been dealing with some nerve issues in my leg the last few months and it's been DEs pretty much all the time lately. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to the straights soon.

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I told you to quit holding the razor with your toes when you shave ........... problem solved ! :rolleyes:

They don't call me twinkle toes for nothing.

I use whatever I feel like using regardless of how I feel. Use whatever works for you when you are ill.

Bob

Well. I was just curious. It is interesting to know about staunch believers as opposed to the more open minded approach. I just got back to my SR and I sure did miss using it. Sometimes I have been simply lazy and made a safety razor slash just to geter done. I feel that once one uses an SR for any length of time then drops of for one reason or another there is a kind of wonderment that occurs when you flip open the long shiny blade twinkling in the bathroom light. It is kind of mystical in a way. It is tough trying to describe the feeling of returning to the long blade over the plastic stick with one blade. I have a rolls Royce razor which I have failed to get sharp. wish I could hone it up properly and give it a go. I think it was one of the first attempts at a single blade, precursor to the safety razor. Now I have also an old safety razor in which you place new blades into. I have yet to have any decent success with it.
If anyone reads this, what can you say about these two types of razors. TheRolls I have comes in a red leather case which has an aluminum case the razor is packaged in and has a strop inside which you are to flip and flop the blade to sharpen it. Any thoughts on how to sharpen this. I have pulled the blade and attempted to hone it but don't seem to get the right cut on the blade to get it sharp. If you can help I would be pleased. Thanks.

Just type in Rolls razor in the search box top right of the SRP home page. There should be lots of info there. It takes awhile to get your technique down with a DE/safety razor but I can get as good a shave with one of those as with a straight razor.

Bob

I don't have a complete Rolls, but from what I remember, the case has a strop on one side and a hone on the other and most of the Rolls razor sets I've seen had a broken hone.

As the honing was done using the flip flop mechanism in the Rolls case, it probably needs a few layers of tape on the spine to get the angle right if honing on regular sharpening stones. I would think this has been discussed in the past and searching this board is probably a good option.

Thanks for that. Will dig it out again and attempt. I have removed the blade to hone it. I guess it is going to take some experimentation to get the thing sharp enough to shave with. I would love to do this at least once.

I have had good success removing the blade and honing a Rolls. I don't want to get into the no tape or three layer arguments.

If I wasn't feeling well though I would not recommend these as a substitute for a straight. The angle of the blade is hard for me to master with the Rolls. The handle angle is different. That in itself is not hard to manage if you are felling well but it is a different muscle memory.

This is just my experience!

Yeh! I get whatch are sayin. I managed this past week to hone up the Rolls. It will now shave arm hair, but not sure about face hair, and yes I understand the angle thing. It is really weird. Mine has the red case that carries the aluminum outfit, the inspectors tag, instruction booklet. I used strop stuff on the strop and it really sucked up the wax. The strop was dried out somewhat, Ha! after years of being ignored. Now the stone in the outfit seems to still be in reasonable shape. Not sure if I should use a touch of honing oil on it or not. I am seeing these things with missing parts, no case, missing blade and they want $40 to $80 for these things. Who in their right mind would pay that kind of money for a broken down shaving system. Being old now gives me the privilege of arguing with antique dealers and telling them what rip off asses they are. Ha, ha, he, he, ho, ho.

Be careful putting the handle back in the case. If you put it in wrong that is how the hones get broken.

I have been in and out of this thing so many times. The stone still looks good and wonder if I should add a drop or two of oil. The strop needed conditioner. It drank the stuff up, but it seems to be ok now.

In earlier times, men did not know any different, as there was only the straight to shave with. If you have the option to choose between a straight or a DE when you don't feel like taking the time for the straight, then use the DE. If I'm pressed for time or not feeling well, I use a DE. I can get just as close of a shave with a DE anyway. ;)

It is nice to hear other perspectives regarding health and shaving. Thanks for taking the time and adding a remark.

I say, use whatever makes you happy. I haven't used a straight since I got a Mongoose safety razor. But, I shall return to the straights one day.

When I really don't feel like shaving but have to, I usually use a Schick Injector, it's completely foolproof and fast.

I use my full collection so it could be a SR, DE, SE or Injector on any given day. I like them all!!

wayne1963: when I shifted to the Straight Razor, a long time ago when dinosaur's roamed the earth, I have fairly much remained with SR's on the basis that the safety razor cartridge's were getting to cost so much, more than what "I" wanted to afford. Oh--I have a few on hand for those emergency situations wherein I cannot afford the pleasurable time spent in preparation and stroking with that long, elegant blade. It also afforded me a connection with my grandparents and those before them--history, but mostly economics. I cannot imagine all the money I have saved by not having to purchase cartridges; ha, and I whine because I cannot afford a beautiful custom, handmade Straight Razor. By now I could have bought several very nice custom made SR's. Oh well. When I think of it I should be ashamed of my whine. Arg! I have just developed an affair with the Straight Razor. Some do, some don't and that's more than o.k. You mention "Mongoose". Ever give "Harry's" a go. They were suppose to be $1 shave, but I can't find one for a dollar, not even a cartridge!