Ralph,
Shaving in Ohio is legal and practiced by few but our numbers are growing. We at our barbershop "The Noble Baron" in New Albany, Ohio not only shave but shave almost as much as we cut hair. The risks associated with shaving are not much different than those associated with using clippers in the sense that if your barber is not sterilizing his equipment he can pass disease either way. Nowadays most barbers use (and should use) disposable straight razors as we do, however I have straight razors that belong to my regulars. The aids epidemic scared a lot of older barbers as there was so much misinformation out there and even some barber inspectors (now retired) in our state detered us from shaving. However if a barber tells you now that he cannot shave it is usually as a result of laziness or being out of practice. The schools only teach you the basics (strokes etc.) and it is the barbers responsiblity to get educated and above all shave often. In Ohio it use to be barber school then 5 years under a master barber as an apprentice who groomed barbers to be great master barbers, so the schools were just a starting point. With the loss of the barbers union years ago they did away with the internship under master barbers but did not improve the barber training. The purpose of the barber board in Ohio is per their own admission one thing, "To Protect The Public". They feel if barbers can make it through school they will learn or go broke trying I assume. They do not educate. We have recently began a barbers association that is promoting not only continuing education but also protecting the trade and all its skillsets. I am a barber purist as I always say. I believe that if we are taught it that it is our job to practice it so the skills will not be lost. We need to inprove the schools, be tough on shops that are not sanitary and grow the trade with accurate information about our craft in all states, not just Ohio. Check us out
The Noble Baron Barbers Shaving Massage Hope this helps!