Thread: Straight shaving at work?

Hi all,

I have generally been in a support role at work (editorial) and thus don't have much contacts with clients. However, I have a new add on assignment and I will be meeting the client for dinner at 7:00 after work on Wednesday.

I have (mostly) dark hair, and by dinner, my 7:00 shadow will be very obvious, so I am considering doing a one-pass touch up at work before going to dinner. However, we have a "weapons" policy and I am a bit nervous about bringing a straight to the office for my touch up. It's been so long since I've used a safety razor that I'm concerned about making more of a mess of my neck than I would by not shaving at all.

So my question is...for those of you who shave at work, either regularly or infrequently, have you gotten weird looks or risked disciplinary action for bringing a straight to work? I certainly am not planning to attack anyone, and if someone sees me shaving in the bathroom, I doubt they will assume anything sinister, but I'm a bit on edge about all aspects of this meeting!

Why not arrange to leave work a bit early that day and just go home and sort yourself out.

It's a razor not a weapon. I know punks and tough guys carried them that way but yours will be in a dop kit.

Or go rough. Who wouldn't understand a shadow after a full day at the office.

Originally Posted by Moonshae

However, we have a "weapons" policy and I am a bit nervous about bringing a straight to the office for my touch up. It's been so long since I've used a safety razor that I'm concerned about making more of a mess of my neck than I would by not shaving at all.

I truly mean no offense, but both of these concerns seem ridiculous to me.

First, a straight razor is not a weapon. Period. Do you ever have birthday cakes at work? Are they cut with knives? Are box cutters used anywhere at work? Are either of these considered to be weapons?

Second, if you know how to use a straight razor, then I cannot imagine how the use of a safety razor possibly can be any kind of challenge.

Tomorrow will be Tuesday, just check with your boss or whoever sets policy & ask if its O.K. If so bring it in tomorrow & leave it at work. If you have a few razors & they give you permission, then leave one at work with some cream & brush.

If they say no tomorrow & you feel rebellious, use Utopian's idea & smuggle it in, inside a cake.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

If they say no tomorrow & you feel rebellious, use Utopian's idea & smuggle it in, inside a cake.

Wow, I did not realize that I was that freakin' brilliant!

Well I doubt our work is similar, as I do three week shifts in a remote location. Periodically I'm afraid that if there is a change of command and the new guy sitting in the big chair will find my shaving habits to be undesirable and my shaving will get banned. So I do understand you concerns. So far so good for me. There are those out there with fears of sharp things. So I would just shave if you think you need to, unless you go through a metal detector on your way into the office, in which case you may want to check with someone or forego the shaving.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Wow, I did not realize that I was that freakin' brilliant!

Ron,,, you have skills that you're not even aware of.

We have a similar idiot proofing system at work, with the carrying & use of an open blades being prohibited except for food preparation (as to many leckies keep cutting themselves).
how stupid it is, is that I cant even access sites like & including SRD on the internet at work as they come up as weapons sites & are blocked

But I generally ignore this nannying bubble wrapping approach to the work environment & defer that the razors & knives I bring to work & have in my draw on many occasions are not for work purposes so are excluded from this ruling.

I say my common sense & own experience tells me to use the right tool for the job & having at least 3 brain cells reminds me how to use it properly & if I can take a truly razor sharp blade & shave my face with my gumby left hand, then my use of a blade with my more ductile & dominant right hand along with never having any self inflicted accidents at work in the last 30 years in an industrial trade environment I should be right to use a real knife.

so I say don't worry about it, if some half wit with no common sense wants to pull you on it, explain the situation & that technically your scissors, nail file & metal pen are just as capable at being a weapon in the right hands & that they should all be banned also if this is the ruling.

this is the joke they issued & we are expected to use

Fair enough, thanks for the feedback. I will be at a different location than where I usually work, about 1.5 hours from home, so leaving early to go home to shave isn't an option. My concerns are likely unfounded in both cases, but I'm rather nervous about this meeting generally and don't want to look like a boob who can't shave.

I know and you know that a straight razor isn't a weapon. Zero tolerance policies have eliminated the use of common sense, however, thus my concern. Perhaps flaunting things will give me an extra jolt of confidence for my meeting!

Thanks again.