Thread: Thumbs Gone Kerplunk

Gentlemen,

The years have taken a toll on my hands, especially my thumbs, and occasionally a flareup makes holding the straight razor for an extended period of time painful. Throw in the stropping and the occasional honing and I sound like a drunken castrato. For the past two weeks shaving with the straight razor has been a painful struggle. That's why I have decided to take a break from the straight razor for the next few days and after than shave straight only on the weekends until the flareup subsides.

This happened to me some years ago, when the problem became more serious and I was compelled to give up straight razor shaving. That was painful, especially every time I walked into the shave den and saw my razors and strop sitting idle. I decided to sell them. The morning I walked into the shave den and did not see my razors and strop I felt a profound sense of emptiness, as if a part of me had been chopped off.

Fortunately I love my double edge razors, so the morning shaving ritual continued. Little by little my hands improved and I bought a few straights and a strop — and tiptoed back into the straight razor world. Ah well, life is full of compromises. Gentlemen, have you faced your own compromises in the shave den?

I have rosacea and occasionally suffer a flare up that leaves my face horribly tender and in pain. They usually last up to two weeks and I can't use a straight, de or even a multi-bladed contraption without causing severe pain. During this time I have to use an electric trimmer that does a poor job but does it without pain.

Having broken my back in seven places I find just standing to be a painful proposition only to be further aggravated by my rotund presence. Shaving can cause an even greater complication as I tend to lean into a mirror and the cantilever position is nothing more than excruciating.
I will often stop to sit during a flare-up.

One question for you my friend: would the process be less painful if your tang was thicker? I have a thought if this helps. You could simulate this by simply wrapping the tang with a few layers of tape.

Arthritis slowly twisting the bones in my fingers have created a challenge straight shaving. Suddely larger blades were a bit difficult to manuever but I recently received a beautiful 9/8 that weighs a little more than 2 ounces
and discovered my problem had actually been with the weight of the larger blades.

I do not know the source of your affliction nor the remedy, but I pray we find a way around it!

Originally Posted by Obie

Gentlemen,

The years have taken a toll on my hands, especially my thumbs, and occasionally a flareup
....snip....

Ouch... do see your doctor!
Watch out for aspirin one type of flareup can be made worse
yet it is ideal for other joint issues. Without a correct diagnosis
you will not know...

Originally Posted by deighaingeal

Having broken my back in seven places I find just standing to be a painful proposition only to be further aggravated by my rotund presence. Shaving can cause an even greater complication as I tend to lean into a mirror and the cantilever position is nothing more than excruciating.
I will often stop to sit during a flare-up.

One question for you my friend: would the process be less painful if your tang was thicker? I have a thought if this helps. You could simulate this by simply wrapping the tang with a few layers of tape.

Ah, bless your heart for your suggestion. My main problem is right at the upper joint, which controls the thumb's movement. Anything I hold in my hand puts enough pressure on the joint to feel as if the thumb is being pushed back. A long time ago I gave up on razors with a skinny shank. Almost all my razors have a thick shank. The simple act of holding the straight razor automatically pushes the thumb back, which then presses hard on the joint. This happens with both hands, since I am a switch hitter, so to speak.

Using the double edge puts less pressure on the thumb, because I can mitigate part of the pressure by slipping my little finger under the handle, thus diverting some of the razor's pressure onto the palm and the little finger.

Now I use the similar method when lathering. As a rule, we hold the brush with the thumb, the index and and the middle fingers for the proper control. That also puts heavy pressure on the joint in my thumb — here, too, I am a switch hitter and use both hands to swirl the brush on my Hollywood face. Now to divert the pressure away from the painful thumb joint I use the same grip and at the same time rest the brush handle in my palm in the area between the index and middle fingers. To a point it's palming the brush. The position is a bit awkward, but it gets the job done.

Unfortunately I have found no such solution for the stropping and the honing, which rely heavily on the use of the right thumb. Ouch!

Well, life is a string of compromises. As I mentioned, for the next week or so I'll shave strictly with the double edge. After that I'll have to shave straight only on the weekends until the flare-up subsides. My fear is that one day my straight shaving might come to an end because of my banged up hands. But let's keep smiling and hope that does not happen — that is if the Lord is willing and the creek don't rise.

Stay well, my dear friend.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Ouch... do see your doctor!
Watch out for aspirin one type of flareup can be made worse
yet it is ideal for other joint issues. Without a correct diagnosis
you will not know...

Hello niftyshaving. Thanks for the suggestion, my dear friend. I have seen a doctor. He blames the whole thing on joint deterioration and arthritis — and maybe somewhere along the line I must have done something to my hand, maybe in Vietnam, but I'll never know. He spoke of an operation, which would be a fusion of sorts, but only as a last resort. I think I'll save the operation for the point of desperation. In the meantime, since I consider myself creative, I'll continue to look for ways to make my shave more comfortable. Also, you and the rest of my friends on SRP are continuously coming up with good ideas and advice. I am grateful for that.

Stay well.

Originally Posted by Obie

Hello niftyshaving. Thanks for the suggestion, my dear friend. I have seen a doctor. He blames the whole thing on joint deterioration and arthritis — and maybe somewhere along the line I must have done something to my hand, maybe in Vietnam, but I'll never know. He spoke of an operation, which would be a fusion of sorts, but only as a last resort. I think I'll save the operation for the point of desperation. In the meantime, since I consider myself creative, I'll continue to look for ways to make my shave more comfortable. Also, you and the rest of my friends on SRP are continuously coming up with good ideas and advice. I am grateful for that.

Stay well.

Hmm joint deterioration and arthritis eh? Where have I heard that before? Count your blessings it's only in your hand. I have big time issues with my neck and there are times nerve pressure affects every part of my upper body and my hands are basically useless. I usually get periodic steroid shots and they do help a lot. yea I'm glad I enjoy the DE otherwise there are periods of time I'm not sure what I would use.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Hmm joint deterioration and arthritis eh? Where have I heard that before? Count your blessings it's only in your hand. I have big time issues with my neck and there are times nerve pressure affects every part of my upper body and my hands are basically useless. I usually get periodic steroid shots and they do help a lot. yea I'm glad I enjoy the DE otherwise there are periods of time I'm not sure what I would use.

How right you are, my dear friend. Things could be worse.

My grandmother used to watch me jump around like fire cracker, happy-go-lucky, bounce here and there, and do everything she was unable to do. One day she said, "Obelit, my boy, I wish I were a hair on your butt." It's an odd statement in English, but in Assyrian, the language of my people, it's a statement of envy, as in "I envy all that running around that you do." Now I say the same thing to my grandson Max.

Stay well.