What is a Weeper?

[ttyndall]

I finished my 7th week as a DE blade shaver today. Around my 3rd or 4th week I tried my first Feather blade in my Ti .95 SB. Did my face first then my head and behind my right ear was a drop of blood. I wiped it off and another drop appeared. It was not bleeding but had blood surface out of one tiny hole. After that I have still been experimenting with different blades. I have used the feather a couple more times with no blood.
After following the different post I bought more blades and creams. My go to was a Gillette SB blade with AOS preshave and TOBS shaving cream. I still have not got my lathering technique down pat yet.
Yesterday I put a 7 O'Clock Yellow in my razor because of seeing people posting about liking them. I still went with the AOS Preshave and the TOBS cream. Shaved my face and head. I know everyone's skin is different but this was a Great Shave. It was BBS with the 3 passes and no touch up on the face and 2 passes on the head. Very smooth and evidently a sharp blade.
Today I kept the 7 O'Clock blade in the razor and used the AOS preshave but switched to a jar of Geo Thumper's Sandlewood that came in yesterday. Totally a different consistency so my lather was not as good as the TOBS. That was due to me I think. Today was only face day. I do the head every other day. When I finished there was that drop of blood again but this time it was around my Adams Apple. Not a good place to be careless with a razor blade.
I don't know if it was due to me or maybe because the face cream was different. It was still smooth with that blade but the cream was definitely different. I'll give this cream a fair shot and try it a couple more days and if it doesn't feel as good I'll move on to a different cream.
The really nice part of this is I think I found my new go to blade. I like it better than the Feather and it gave me a closer shave than the GSB. Naturally in my order I received with the 2 new creams yesterday was a 100 pack of the GSB's. I'll keep them out of the way with other preshaves and creams so my wife won't see a stock pile and wonder why I "NEED" these.
My question is when it is a tiny one spot cut that you cannot see other than the drop of blood is this what everyone refers to as a weeper?

 

[ackvil]

Look here.

 

[Macduff]

In a word, yes. Weeper tends to be a bit of a broad term, but generally it refers to those little spots of blood that tend to stop bleeding after a rinse or a short period of time. A “nick” or cut tend to be the terms used when you get one that won’t stop bleeding. The vast majority of blood you see during shaving would probably be classified as a weeper. They’re very common using DE’s because the angle of the blade isn’t fixed. One or two during a shave (like what you describe) is pretty normal if you’re trying out new blades, razors or soaps since each has its own different properties and will take some time to get used to. Honestly the best way to eliminate them in my opinion is to spend some time with a blade, soap and razor you like till you dial everything in. That way you’ll always have a combo you know works. That said, everyone has an off day and sometimes they just happen. Hope that clarifies it a bit.

 

[MntnMan62]

In a word, yes. Weeper tends to be a bit of a broad term, but generally it refers to those little spots of blood that tend to stop bleeding after a rinse or a short period of time. A “nick” or cut tend to be the terms used when you get one that won’t stop bleeding. The vast majority of blood you see during shaving would probably be classified as a weeper. They’re very common using DE’s because the angle of the blade isn’t fixed. One or two during a shave (like what you describe) is pretty normal if you’re trying out new blades, razors or soaps since each has its own different properties and will take some time to get used to. Honestly the best way to eliminate them in my opinion is to spend some time with a blade, soap and razor you like till you dial everything in. That way you’ll always have a combo you know works. That said, everyone has an off day and sometimes they just happen. Hope that clarifies it a bit.

This exactly.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

A weeper is when you cut yourself so bad, you cry.

 

[naughtilus]

Weeper is a citizen of Weeper City. If you want to visit just buy a tuck of BIC Chrome Platinums.

 

[ttyndall]

Ackvil, reading that link it looks like there are different opinions of a weeper and a nick.
Macduff, I am going to keep it simple and go with your description and call mine a weeper since it did not bleed other than one drop and I could not see a cut after I cleaned up.
I can see where there is a very fine line between a weeper and a minor nick.
I'll use this cream a few days and then try some Jack Black i bought and not change the brand of blade or preshave to give it a fair comparison.
After that choose my go to set up.
Thanks to both of you.

 

[ackvil]

Although there are numerous opinions, I would agree with Macduff.

 

[ttyndall]

Dog Whiskerer,
I tried that to get pity from my wife. Even mashed it to get an extra drop of blood before I showed it to her. She laughed and called me a baby.

 

[Dog Whiskerer]

Dog Whiskerer,
I tried that to get pity from my wife. Even mashed it to get an extra drop of blood before I showed it to her. She laughed and called me a baby.

Yeah, my wife doesn't care how much I bleed, as long as I clean up the sink.

 

[MntnMan62]

Interesting. My wife put it differently. She doesn't care how much I bleed so long as the life insurance policy is paid up.

 

[Christoph]

A tiny cut that produces a tear like blood flow. Usually a non issue. I don't think about cuts much because I so rarely draw any blood now.

 

[BigJ]

In a word, yes. Weeper tends to be a bit of a broad term, but generally it refers to those little spots of blood that tend to stop bleeding after a rinse or a short period of time. A “nick” or cut tend to be the terms used when you get one that won’t stop bleeding. The vast majority of blood you see during shaving would probably be classified as a weeper. They’re very common using DE’s because the angle of the blade isn’t fixed. One or two during a shave (like what you describe) is pretty normal if you’re trying out new blades, razors or soaps since each has its own different properties and will take some time to get used to. Honestly the best way to eliminate them in my opinion is to spend some time with a blade, soap and razor you like till you dial everything in. That way you’ll always have a combo you know works. That said, everyone has an off day and sometimes they just happen. Hope that clarifies it a bit.

+2! Great explanation! (And NO fun. )

 

[magoo75]

A weeper is when you cut yourself so bad, you cry.

Cute but not true , in the real meaning. Nevertheless original. Very funny !

 

[Potrzebie]

Weeper vs. nick has to do with mechanism of injury, not severity. A nick is an incision into the skin with an action that tends to not remove skin. A weeper is caused by an action that takes a small fillet from the skin with an action similar to that of the DE instrument pictured above my screen name at left. Either type of wound could be large or small.

 

[kingfisher]

I agree with Macduff except to say that for me it is not normal in any way to get a weeper or two, even if I am changing razor, blade, and soap on the same day. I might get a weeper once every 4-5 months, at the most. Bloodless shaves should be the norm. I actually think a bloodless shave isn't even a good goal; shaves without irritation should be the goal.
Slow down, watch your angles, mind your pressure. Weepers should be rare if you do this. Disclaimer: I've been traditional wetshaving since about May of 2009, and until the past month or so, shaved every single day of my life, so I have quite a bit of experience, I'm guessing well over 3000 traditional shaves.

 

[SucKO]

I think of weepers as a surficial scrape that releases a small amount of your precious bodily fluids. Once the aftershave is applied, there is no visual evidence of the scrape.

A nick is an actual slicing/incision through multi layers of skin. The cut is still visible after the shave has been completed and is sensitive to touch for a couple hours after the shave.

You can have a perfect irritation free BBS shave but still have a nick/cut. Odds are if you get a weeper, the area will have a varying amount of irritation. Kinda like a scraped knee can sting like the Dickens but a clean cut won't even hurt.

Just my wool gathering,
Have a Great One!

 

[SucKO]

Separate subject, and not to get too far off topic, but I think weepers just sometimes happen to all of us. I agree a bloodless shave is an end goal, but sometimes, no matter how experienced you are, weepers can happen. I am not including nicks or cuts in this discussion, just weepers.

Example: if someone has only used modern DE safety bar razors for decades decides to use a Gillette open comb New Improved or an Old Type single/double ring razor, I would be shocked if they didn't release any of their precious bodily fluids on their first couple of shaves.

Experience and technique to adjust to a completely new type of razor (for the user) can take a couple of swipes to figure out what to adjust, thing is those vampires will draw out the crimson in only 1/2 swipe or less. There is no fault of the shaver, its just the nature of those little blood suckers.

Sorry about the slight derail,
Have a Great One Everyone!

 

[GaryTha]

Look here.

This thread cleared everything up. A nick is either a small weeper or a weeper is a small nick. I say a person can't weep one tear, so a weeper has to drip blood at least a couple of drops of blood.