[Joed]

I don't have time to read all of the above posts but from what I have read it is good advice. I would add that you should not pause the blade while it is making contact with your face. The smallest movement will give you a slice. Start the blade moving slightly before making contact and lift it off before stopping the stroke.

[rsrick]

Originally Posted by icedog

I have straight razors on their rack in my "shave den", on my dresser, on my desk, in my tool bag and in the shop. They are all behaving perfectly civilly. I watch them surreptitiously in the event that their overt behavior might be an act but they remain docile. I have been in possession of at least one straight razor continually since I was sixteen years old, 34 years ago. Not once have I observed any aspect of a razor that left to its own might be considered dangerous.

In the same house with my razors lives a polydactyl orange tabby named Mr. Toes. Meet Mr. Toes This cat has on many occassions, without provocation attacked me, biting and scratching without mercy. I have tried to avoid him but he lies secretly in wait and runs at me from all sides clearly intending to do me bodily harm.

My conclusion is that Mr. Toes is infinitely more dangerous than a houseful of straight razors.

Perhaps Mr. Toes is exacting his revenge for being paraded around in stylish PJs!

[icedog]

Originally Posted by rsrick

Perhaps Mr. Toes is exacting his revenge for being paraded around in stylish PJs!

I like to think Mr. Toes likes his PJ's.

[Stuggi]

Originally Posted by Bruno

Only if you have medical conditions like haemophilia... then you have to address those concerns individually.

I have Von Willebrands Disease, which is a clotting factor deficiency, and I shave with bladed razors. If you have such a severe clotting problem that you can't shave with a straight, you shouldn't shave with a bladed razor at all, and instead use an electric razor or grow a beard.

[MistressNomad]

I gotta say, so far, my first month of straight shaving is going *way* better than my first 2 years of disposable/cartridge blade shaving.

I haven't given myself anything but a couple of really, really minor nicks. As soon as I wipe over them, the blood stops, and 2 days later I can't even see them anymore.

However, I have matching scars on both calves from a disposable razor where I flayed the skin off the front of my shin. They've been there for about 8 or 9 years now. I also have a nasty slice behind the tendons of my left ankle that's been there for probably 7 years. I cut myself shaving all the time, and if I didn't, I had horrible razor burn and bumps to show for it. And that never stopped, no matter what I did. That's kinda why I used to be lazy about shaving.

I think this is mostly due to the fact the shaving prep we're given from modern-day Gillette just, frankly, sucks, and that I have no control over angle, and without using at least a little bit of pressure, disposable razors just don't work. I certainly can't go as light as I can with a straight, anyway, or I might as well not bother shaving.

I'm much more careful with a straight. It's a razor blade on a stick with nothing between that blade and my arteries except my utmost attention.

It's sharper, which means I can always predict how it will act in given situations. When you're dealing with a gradually dulling, poor-quality disposable blade, you can't predict. Razors that are "kinda sharp" are the ones that will hurt you - not sharp, or dull.

Honestly, I think that due to the respect it commands and the maintenance we put into the edge, a straight is a hell of a lot safer in day-to-day use than a disposable Bic. At least, in my hands it is.

[John Crowley]

It is really very simple. Tell your mother all you have to remember is to go up and down and not back and forth.

[Stubear]

The worst I ever got was a couple of small nicks on my cheek. If you take your time, follow the advice given here and treat the blade with respect you shouldnt have a problem IMO.

The worst cut I ever got was cleaning a razor actually, I sliced my thumb! But nothing more than the odd nick when actually shaving.

Some people do have an irrational fear of these things, same as some people are scared of guns. And if we were all slicing ourselves to ribbons regularly, this hobby would have died out long ago!

I genuinely get the best shaves of my life with a straight razor, BBS smooth and no irritation. Driving to work each morning is far more fraught with danger than using a straight razor, and these have been around FAR longer than the DE and cartridge razors. People have been using them for hundreds of years with no problem after all!

You should direct your mum and bro to SRP and let them have a read of this thread..! Its definately something you should try if you are keen, and once you do you'll probably never go back!

Good luck!