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?