Just wanted to thank everyone for their words of encouragement. My cut has healed and Im ready to get back to using the straight. Tomorrow I plan on using my new to me ERN Crown and Sword for one gentle pass.
My name is Mitch I have been straight razor for 14 months...and I have cut myself many times at one time I had 7 visual scars all healing. I know use ice water In my bathroom sink it really helps stopping the blood....I so cut myself pretty good with DE shaving. The outcome of my story is my face feels so much better as far as razor burn red bumps and raw skin that all the cuts were worth the final outcome.
I have been shaving with a straight for about a year, and just gave myself a nasty gash through a combination of overconfidence and using a new razor. I'd been shaving with a wide round nosed razor and had just acquired and had honed a narrow 4 or 5/8 razor with a barbers notch. I had shaved with it several times before, and was comfortable with it. This time, I forgot which razor that I was using and allowed the blade to get out of align with my face so that the sharp point pressed on my face. In one stroke, I had a vertical inch long incision on my cheek just forward of my ear. It's still healing, and I shaved for the first few days with a safety razor simply to avoid the scab. It's been about a week, and I am back to using the 7/8 round nose straight. I will try the new razor again once the cut is healed to the point where I don't have to pay special attention while shaving that area and can concentrate on that sharp point. Even during my learning curve, I never gave myself more than a minor nick. In fact, a British Rocket that I recently acquired/tested gave me more nicks in one session than the total nicks I got learning to use a straight.
Perhaps this wiil encourage you to keep on truckin' I just took out a divot with a "safety" razor. My spouse's hands and mine have scars from dog teeth - not bites, we were breaking up arguments and they just swung their open jaws past a hand. A cut from a razor heals more cleanly that a swipe from a protruding nail or dog tooth. If you decide to give up straight razors, I would also support that. Go with whatever works for you. This is supposed to be a mini-spa each morning, not a weird challenge to anyone's courage.
Good ol' dog teeth ! I was house sitting years ago , maybe 1997 and i stupidly set out my dogs bowl and the other dogs bowl in the same room, not paying attention. Well my dog finished first and just kinda walked by the other dogs bowl and sniffed, BIG mistake. It was two dogs at each other (and otherwise they got along great) but I was fearing my dog (an australian shpard mix) would meet his maker because the dog I was house sitting was a Rhodesian ridgeback which weighed about 120 lbs! So I yelled as loud as I could and i stepped between them. The Rhodesian backed away and I took a puncture wound from my dog right on the inner thigh. I have a nice scar to this day For the OP....I am awaiting my first straight which will come on Friday and looking forward to it. In the meantime my worst DE slice was recently and like all cuts it came from carelessness, not paying attention and quite frankly cockiness. I was using a new blade with my newly acquired le pere Lucien and I felt CONFIDENT. On my second pass I was going fast and and I managed to slice my lip quite good. took about 2 minutes with a styptic pencil to stop and I had my scab for about three days
I agree with you on the confidence side of things, those cuts can be scary. Luckily, in due time, it'll be like second nature. It's been 3 years for me and I seldom cut myself, if I do, it was me being careless. Hopefully since they make slim cuts it healed quickly and you didn't need stitches!
I have a shavete that I use on occasion. I have to be in the right frame of mind to use it. Clear minded, good lighting, low stress and plenty of time or safety razor it is.
