Thread: Today I did what all straight razor shavers DREAD....

I was stropping.

I don't know how it happened or what I was thinking. Maybe I wasnt.

I dropped the razor.

I had three thoughts as my very first and favourite blade went tumbling to the floor.

1. QUICK! Try to catch the razor before it hits the floor and breaks! Do you want your very first blade to get chipped? Catch it!

2. DO NOT TRY TO CATCH IT! Do you like your hands? How would you like a quick visit to the hospital to remove said razor from your hand? How would you explain that one?

3. Oh the razor is headed to my bare feet!!! Quick! Jump out the way!!

I decided to opt for the third option. As a result I am able to write about this to you now because I am not in hospital with a blade in my body. As a bonus I inspected the razor closely. There are no chips or nicks at all. That said I havent shaved with it yet so i'll go and do that now and tell you all what happens.

Sometimes life throws you are curveball and you realize how lucky you are to have things the way they are. This is one of those times.

EDIT: I mis-named the thread. It should read 'Today I did what all straight razor shavers DREAD'. Doh!

I used to race sailboats and there were a few lessons you learned early on. One was to duck when the boom paases centerline. The other important one was not to grab a running line, unless you didn't mind having the skin removed from your hand or getting pulled through a block...

Same thing happened to me this summer. I only had the one thought though. Honestly, the instant the razor slipped out of my had ans off the strop I was preoccupied with the danger of a tumbling razor. Mine landed tip down on hardwood and earned me a nick which I would have to wait two months to hone out.

X

You must become one with the force. Or something. The Zen of Straight Shaving - Straight Razor Place Wiki

P.S. I forget who the original authors were. If you are, please claim that page.

i dropped mine once (it was my hone test razor) and it landed on the hard tile floor...nothing was done to the edge but i now always shave standing on two bath mats :-) just in case

This story validated my practice of wearing a large turkish towel and slippers when I shave aand handle my razor in the monring. Sometimes it feels like overkill but clearly accidents happen. Glad to hear you were not injured.

Been there, done that, had the same thoughts running through my head. Gravity really sucks at times!

Congratulations on the good luck! ...and wise decision making.

Originally Posted by CloseShave

This story validated my practice of wearing a large turkish towel and slippers when I shave aand handle my razor in the monring. .

I on the other hand expound commando shaving. Free swinging in the breeze great also ensures you pay attention to what you are doing..

When I was an ironworker apprentice I heard the adage,"You can tell the Joe's by their fingers and toes". A "Joe McGee" was an inept ironworker and he usually had some digits missing. When I was a carpet mechanic (installer) I saw more then one guy split his finger like a sausage when he miscued cutting carpet and his knife slipped off of the straight edge.

I was lucky, after twenty years as an ironworker and five as a carpet layer I came away unscathed. So far I have yet to drop the razor (knocking on wood) but I think I may begin to use the turkish towel and slippers mentioned by CloseShave. An ounce of prevention. As for trying to catch the razor. I hope I wouldn't but I can't predict what I would do. I just hope I never have occasion to find out.