Thread: Dulling sharp points?

My first razor was my Burrell Top Flight that has a nasty sharp spike toe. At times I did catch it on my neck as I shaved along the jawline and did consider muting the toe. However, I decided to teach myself to respect it rather than mute it. Often I read that a spike toe is not good for a beginner, but I feel it taught me to shave better, really.

If you bought a nice big thumping V8 as a first car, would you pull out some spark plugs to tone it down a bit? Maybe not; just learn to live with it. Just my opinion :-)

I do it all the time.

I wouldn't think that dulling just the very point, like the last 1/10mm, wouldn't change the tip's ability to get into tight places, but would do a lot to save face. Since I just slashed my cheek this morning in a moment of inattention, opening a bloody little flap about 15mm long on the side of my face, I'm probably going to do that to mine tonight. No machismo here: I can do without the scars.

In the now eight months I've been shaving dailiy with a straight I've had amazingly few significant cuts -- maybe a dozen tops. 3/4 of them have been with these points on 3 or 4 of my razors, all of which are otherwise really nice shavers. I found I was getting a little gun-shy and decided that can't be a good attitude. Otherwise I simply don't worry about cutting myself but was beginning to with these. I muted them have had no more slices and, most importantly maybe, am no longer worrying about it.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Just for info,

If done correctly, Muting or Neutering the Spike can be reversed with the very next honing cycle.. It does not have to be permanent

unlike circumcision!

I like what Carl said. I too have learned to respect the razor and always know where that point is, by leaving that wicked point on 4 of my 8 razors.

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Muting the point was and is common practice and is perfectly acceptable to most of us.

I bought this carborundum hone from my barber in the 1960s and you can see the muting tracks along the side of the stone.

This stone was well used when I got it so it is fairly old. Probably from the 40s or 50s.

Jerry
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Yeah, I mute the spikes and also mute the politicians on TV. Both save me some pain!!

Howard