How to explain that a sharp SR is safer?

[rbscebu]

This morning my housemaid, Maryl, brought me my morning cup of tea into my office. She noticed that I had a small nick on the side of my chin from shaving this morning.

Her comment was that my SR must be too sharp. I then tried to explain to her that a sharper SR is safer than one that is less sharp. I failed to get her to understand.

How can I explain this to her without it getting too complicated?

 

[camoloc]

ask her if she wants a dull kitchen knife cutting carrots or a sharp one while cooking. same principle. dulled barely sharp knives can be just as dangerous.

less stuttering, grabbing, drag, etc.

camo

 

[Steve56]

@camoloc has it right.

To add to the discussion, a SR is unlike any other edged tool in at least two respects. 1) if it isn’t cutting well, you can’t push harder (pushing harder can cause bad things to happen to you). That’s why a sharp razor is safer than a less sharp razor. 2) if your hone isn’t cutting well enough/fast enough, you can’t push harder (or bad things will happen to your razor). Neither of these are true for say, a knife.

 

[rbscebu]

The dull kitchen knife explanation didn't work. I do the cooking her. At home, Maryl sharpens her kitchen knives on a piece of concrete, so she saws through when cutting food.

 

[camoloc]

The dull kitchen knife explanation didn't work. I do the cooking her. At home, Maryl sharpens her kitchen knives on a piece of concrete, so she saws through when cutting food.

damn! give that girl old beat up hone...Smith's v knife sharpener....or something.

concrete sharpening sounds scary to me.

camo

 

[rbscebu]

Concrete knife sharpener is common with poorer Filipinos. BTW, Filipina is a female Filipino. Filipino is a male and/or a person from the Philippines. The "a" suffix denotes female and the "o" suffix denotes male or all.

 

[azwetshaver]

I would say you are more likely to use more pressure with a dull blade. Of course with a shave ready edge, you never use pressure with a SR. I would think a cartridge razor would be the same. When it dulls, folks use more pressure to get the razor to shave.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Dull razor requires higher angle, more pressure, more passes to work. More cuts, more irritation. Sharp razor cuts only when you are careless.

 

[ajduplessis]

Surgeon‘s uses thinner, sharper edges that causes less trauma as the cut is more precise. The wound will heal quicker and leave less scar tissue as the damage was thin, smooth and precise.

Duller or less refined edges perform like serrated edges that rip, pull and tear. This leave scars that are more prominent and takes more time to heal.

Clean smooth cuts surfaces “bond“ together easier allowing the cells to repair faster.

Sharp does not require blade pressure.

 

[Ivo4u2]

A straight is more like a chissle try shaving some wood with a dull one
A dull scissor versus a sharp one also shows you are breaking versus cutting
Maybe a paper sheet, it will tear with a dull blade but smooth cut with a sharp one.
grinn but my exes where Russian and thai both could give you the same challenge....
you can always do it the hard way learn them to shave legs with a straight.

 

[rbscebu]

Thanks for the above, but I am trying to explain why it is easier to cut yourself when shaving with a sharp but not sharp enough SR compared to not cutting yourself so easily with a truly sharp shave-ready SR.

That is what Maryl cannot understand. Her thinking is the sharper the razor, the easier it is to cut yourself while shaving.

 

[Atlantic59]

I still like the knife cutting vegetables analogy, but you tried that already.

How about: if the soles of your shoes are worn down, you are more likely to slip and fall. If you put a new set of soles on your shoes, you will be able to walk more securely.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Thanks for the above, but I am trying to explain why it is easier to cut yourself when shaving with a sharp but not sharp enough SR compared to not cutting yourself so easily with a truly sharp shave-ready SR.

That is what Maryl cannot understand. Her thinking is the sharper the razor, the easier it is to cut yourself while shaving.

Well, the whole point of shaving is to cut hairs. A dull razor will not do that very well. A sharp one does, easily. The fact that it will cut skin more easily as well, is a non issue.

 

[Steve56]

She’s partially right. A sharp razor cuts more easily - which means it cuts hair more easily too. Your learned technique keeps you from getting cut with a sharp razor. As @Slash McCoy pointed out, that technique changes more to scraping with a duller razor and invites higher angles and more pressure which causes more cuts.

 

[Dave-the-rave]

Surgeon‘s uses thinner, sharper edges that causes less trauma as the cut is more precise. The wound will heal quicker and leave less scar tissue as the damage was thin, smooth and precise.

Duller or less refined edges perform like serrated edges that rip, pull and tear. This leave scars that are more prominent and takes more time to heal.

Clean smooth cuts surfaces “bond“ together easier allowing the cells to repair faster.

Sharp does not require blade pressure.

And that's how to frame it for Maryl to understand...

''Shall I remove your spleen with a rusty boat hook or a shave ready razor?''

Too much???

 

[SliceOfLife]

Just respond: "The razor isn't too sharp, I was too dull this morning."

 

[rbscebu]

Just respond: "The razor isn't too sharp, I was too dull this morning."

Probably the best reply!

 

[George Kelley]

Get a sharp knife and a dull knife, then demonstrate slicing a tomato.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Just tell her you love danger, defying death makes you feel truly alive, and that's why your razors are deadly sharp.

You only live twice.
Once when you are born,
And once when you look death in the face.
-James Bond

 

[thombrogan]

Tell her it’s because you strop on balsa with 0.1μ diamond and not the 0.025μ stuff it requires