Straight razors and other wet-shave equipment and Hep C

[Dino Silone]

There are some old threads that mention this, but nothing recent. I have some wet shaving equipment including some vintage straight razors, strops, honing stones, etc, that were used by someone infected with Hep C until about 5 months ago. They haven’t been used at all since. The equipment includes a number of really nice vintage straight razors, several strops (including an excellent cordovan strop), and a bunch of stones.

After reading an article saying that barbershops and their equipment are the #1 source of Hep C infection in Pakistan, I’ve been hesitant to use this stuff, though I’d really like to - the razors are really nice. Most of the articles online have to do with disinfecting used hypodermic needles and syringes, and other drug paraphernalia. (Things like shaving equipment are probably a very niche case...)

Other old threads here and elsewhere talk about using agents like barbacide, even on used, vintage equipment of unknown provenance, but treat it as a probably unnecessary precaution. I’m assuming this is partly because the a-priori probability of any of those second-hand razors having come in contact with infected blood is pretty remote to begin with. In the case of the equipment I’m talking about, particularly the razors, there’s a 100% chance that they’ve come into contact with HCV-infected blood at some time within the last few years, and the only certainty is that they haven’t come into contact with anything in the last 5 months or so.

The razors were washed and scrubbed with soap and water, and all the equipment has been dry and hasn’t been used in about 5 months. I’ve bought some barbacide, but haven’t used it yet.

At what point does this stuff become safe to use, if ever?

 

[johnwick]

I would absolutely think barbicide mixed to the right strength and a 10 minute soak will kill this virus if still present. After all, it was designed for hospital use.

 

[Scaramouche]

HCV is almost exclusively a bloodborne pathogen (requiring percutaneous transmission), but it can survive on surfaces for 3 weeks (some say more) under ideal conditions. Standard Barbicide in the correct concentrations and for the correct contact time (10 minutes) is effective against the virus, and I would be inclined to use it regardless of the length of time a known exposure has occurred. It's simple, fast and effective, and there really isn't a reason not to use it, unless you are of a particular mindset "Not necessary! Don't need it! Never use it! Hard surfaces! Chemicals! Not worried about my own germs! It's just a razor! Never cut myself! Germs are dead after 100 years! Soap and water just as good! Grandpa never worried! Just wipe it off! Forks aren't sterile! Builds up your immune system!" Harrumph!

 

[BigJ]

barbicide mixed to the right strength and a 10 minute soak will kill this virus if still present. After all, it was designed for hospital use.

+2! My thought also!

 

[bkatbamna]

Alcohol is fine as well. Rare(but possible) to transmit HCV from dried blood on razors but Hep B is a much more robust virus and is easier to transmit from dried blood.

 

[mglindo]

Use barbicide and use the stuff you've got! You will have more chances of getting hit by a truck than getting Hep C.


Mike

 

[sarimento1]

There are some old threads that mention this, but nothing recent. I have some wet shaving equipment including some vintage straight razors, strops, honing stones, etc, that were used by someone infected with Hep C until about 5 months ago. They haven’t been used at all since. The equipment includes a number of really nice vintage straight razors, several strops (including an excellent cordovan strop), and a bunch of stones.

After reading an article saying that barbershops and their equipment are the #1 source of Hep C infection in Pakistan, I’ve been hesitant to use this stuff, though I’d really like to - the razors are really nice. Most of the articles online have to do with disinfecting used hypodermic needles and syringes, and other drug paraphernalia. (Things like shaving equipment are probably a very niche case...)

Other old threads here and elsewhere talk about using agents like barbacide, even on used, vintage equipment of unknown provenance, but treat it as a probably unnecessary precaution. I’m assuming this is partly because the a-priori probability of any of those second-hand razors having come in contact with infected blood is pretty remote to begin with. In the case of the equipment I’m talking about, particularly the razors, there’s a 100% chance that they’ve come into contact with HCV-infected blood at some time within the last few years, and the only certainty is that they haven’t come into contact with anything in the last 5 months or so.

The razors were washed and scrubbed with soap and water, and all the equipment has been dry and hasn’t been used in about 5 months. I’ve bought some barbacide, but haven’t used it yet.

At what point does this stuff become safe to use, if ever?

Welcome to B&B, Sir Dino!

You got great info above!

Tell us how you happened onto B&B??

 

[Dino Silone]

Use barbicide and use the stuff you've got! You will have more chances of getting hit by a truck than getting Hep C.


Mike

Thanks, that’s normally true, but only because infected individuals represent only about 1% of the population in the United States, and of that 1%, only a small fraction use straight razors, cut themselves, get blood on their blade within the expected survival time of the virus, ... you get the idea. In other words, coming across a razor that can infect you on the used market is very unlikely, and using something like Barbacide on the blade gets you into the less then 1 in a million chance of infection range.

In Pakistan, the fraction of the population infected with the virus is close to 10%, and many rural barbers can’t afford an autoclave. So barbershops are the #1 source of the spread of the virus there. (According to a couple of articles I read there.)

But this case is different. I KNOW the razors were used for years by an individual who definitely had chronic HCV, and who, at some point in the last year or so, is almost certain to have nicked himself shaving. In other words, the razors were certain to have come in contact with infected blood at some point in the last year, and the only certainty is that they haven’t come in contact with any infected blood in the last 5 months or so that I’ve had them.

That’s why I’m asking if anybody knows what the upper limit on survival is for the virus on surfaces like razors, strops, etc. I will disinfect with barbacide, in addition to waiting.

 

[Dino Silone]

Welcome to B&B, Sir Dino!

You got great info above!

Tell us how you happened onto B&B??

Thanks for the welcome! I happened on B&B because I was searching for information about the question I asked above, and the Google search led me to some of the old threads that discussed infection from using shared or second-hand razors in various contexts, and methods for disinfecting.

I’ve shaved with straight razors since the late 1960s, when my grandfather taught me to shave, and gave me one of his old razors. (I still have it and use it). Since then, I’ve bought a couple of new razors (latest new razor buy was in 1980, though), and rehabilitated a bunch of flea-market and second-hand store finds. I like to do my own maintenance, and do my own sharpening. I’ve also made scales for a few razors that needed it, using woods like cocobolo, rosewood, and African Blackwood.

By the way, I never did anything extraordinary with the flea market razors, other than clean them thoroughly. This case is different, since I know the person who had these razors until 5 months ago was infected with HCV.

 

[StillShaving]

The most negative thing I could add is that at least there are cures for the disease now, when there were none in the recent past. Though the drugs are still expensive. You mentioned Pakistan but when I did a quick search about some of the treatments there were some surprising (to me) stats given in one article. Stats like there are "150 million people globally affected", "Egypt is the worst affected country in the world, where 10% to 12% of the population has hepatitis C...".

But as others have stated I think disinfectant and a little time is more than enough. Steel is not a hospitable environment when clean. I am not a straight restorer so this may be a bad idea but I would expect that a light steel wool treatment, dulling the blade, and rehone would remove any lingering doubts about anything possibly remaining on the surface of the metal.

 

[Dino Silone]

The most negative thing I could add is that at least there are cures for the disease now, when there were none in the recent past. Though the drugs are still expensive. You mentioned Pakistan but when I did a quick search about some of the treatments there were some surprising (to me) stats given in one article. Stats like there are "150 million people globally affected", "Egypt is the worst affected country in the world, where 10% to 12% of the population has hepatitis C...".

But as others have stated I think disinfectant and a little time is more than enough. Steel is not a hospitable environment when clean. I am not a straight restorer so this may be a bad idea but I would expect that a light steel wool treatment, dulling the blade, and rehone would remove any lingering doubts about anything possibly remaining on the surface of the metal.

Thanks, this makes sense. I thought I’d let them remain unused for 8-12 months before using them. I’m going to do the barbicide soak, dry them, and put them away.

Yes, the disease is much more curable than it was in the past, and there are treatments that are about 99% effective nowadays, with few or no side effects. It’s interesting that, in Egypt, the medication costs about $7. In the United States, the same medication costs over $90,000 (roughly $1200/pill). So yes, very expensive. It’s certainly not something I’d want to expose myself to.

 

[Scaramouche]

You'll be fine - one positive note about a straight razor is there aren't many nooks and crannies to clean, and you say they've been scrubbed. Most important thing for a surface disinfectant to work effectively is to remove the bioburden. You didn't say what the scales are made of, but a 10 minute soak in Barbicide is unlikely to harm them (blue stain) unless it's unpolished ivory, and even then unlikely; same for honing stones. HCV won't survive longer than a couple of months on any surface, and if 10 minutes in Barbicide will give you additional peace of mind, press. The leather strops are less amenable to disinfection without harming the leather, but a quick surface spray with a household disinfectant like Lysol, followed by a thorough scrubbing with saddle soap will remove any contaminants and shouldn't do too much damage. You won't need to wait a year, or even another month - after the above, you're done.

This may help. It does indicate that positive infectivity may persist in the lumen of a fine needle syringe for up to 63 days, however I would say this is likely the absolute limit for this virus - it's not as difficult to kill as many of its relatives:

Editor's Choice: Inactivation and Survival of Hepatitis C Virus on Inanimate Surfaces

 

[Dino Silone]

You'll be fine - one positive note about a straight razor is there aren't many nooks and crannies to clean, and you say they've been scrubbed. Most important thing for a surface disinfectant to work effectively is to remove the bioburden. You didn't say what the scales are made of, but a 10 minute soak in Barbicide is unlikely to harm them (blue stain) unless it's unpolished ivory, and even then unlikely; same for honing stones. HCV won't survive longer than a couple of months on any surface, and if 10 minutes in Barbicide will give you additional peace of mind, press. The leather strops are less amenable to disinfection without harming the leather, but a quick surface spray with a household disinfectant like Lysol, followed by a thorough scrubbing with saddle soap will remove any contaminants and shouldn't do too much damage. You won't need to wait a year, or even another month - after the above, you're done.

This may help. It does indicate that positive infectivity may persist in the lumen of a fine needle syringe for up to 63 days, however I would say this is likely the absolute limit for this virus - it's not as difficult to kill as many of its relatives:

Editor's Choice: Inactivation and Survival of Hepatitis C Virus on Inanimate Surfaces

Thanks, this is really useful information. That’s one of the papers I’d read. I’ve seen other sources say the virus could remain infectious for as long as 5 months. Over the years, the upper limit on how long the virus can live outside the body has been continuously revised upwards, going from “a few weeks” to “months”. And yes, the environment matters a lot - a completely clean and dry razor is a very different environment from the lumen of a fine needle, for example.

Anyway - I really appreciate the thought everyone has put into answering this question. We straight razor shavers are a pretty small group in the world population. But razors (and edge tools like chisels, woodcarving knives, etc.) can last a long time. In most cases, they’ve been unused for a long time, and also the likelihood that the previous user was infected with HCV is very small. But still, it would be good for us (the consumers of those used edge tools) to have a good understanding of how to make them safe, without counting on the fact that the a priori probability that they were infected to begin with, is very small. (My case, for example, is one where that a priori probability is 1.)