To nick or not to nick - also what is a nick in your preference?

[notsotalented]

The topic may (or may not) have been discussed before, but I think this is more or less a "personal preference" thing, so I feel the urge to ask anyway. Mainly there are three questions:

1. What is your "definition" of a nick?
2. How different is it between a nick from a safety Razor and that from a cartridge razor?
3. In the case of a "minor nick" which causes little to no irritation afterward, do you still consider that a comfortable/good shave session?

I would like to point out my own preference for a starter:

1. To me, a nick is "a bad cut" that causes pain, bloodshed, and irritation for a while after the shaving session. If it lasts for more than half a day then I consider that a "cut". Like when you accidentally move the razor too quickly it "slashes" the skin. It's more like a minor wound per se. "A small nick" or a little scratch that can cause bloodshed and irritation at first, but immediately after the shave session I feel nothing from it (sealed wound/very minor wound/...) then I don't consider that a nick.
2. From my experience, because the bigger force is applied with cartridge razors, the nick/wound will be more often than not more severe than that from a safety razor. Maybe the 3 blades from the Gillette Sensitive weren't sensitive-oriented enough *cough cough*. My suspect is that the blade in the safety razor is often sharper, which will cause a cleaner cut/a quick-to-seal + quick-to-heal wound.
3. If there are no harsh feelings on my face after the shaving, then whether or not there were accidents, I still consider that a good shave.

Please do tell me your opinions/experiences, I really like studying other people's perspectives (so that I realize I do not possess wicked thoughts xD). Thank you!

 

[m949]

A nick for me is a small cut which doesn't stop immediately bleeding after applying the styptic pencil. It takes longer to stop the bleeding because the wound is slightly deeper and it can be felt throughout the day, sometimes until the next day.

As for a weeper I submit to the B&B definition in the glossary: "A small nick." Although I'd add to that: [...], the bleeding of which can be stopped immediately after applying a styptic pencil.

Therefore, for me a weeper is a more superficial wound and a nick a more deeper one.

I'd consider all wounds from cartridge razors nicks and not weepers and I consider it to be a comfortable shave if the only injury would be one nick or one weeper without any other irritation.

 

[notsotalented]

A nick for me is a small cut which doesn't stop immediately bleeding after applying the styptic pencil. It takes longer to stop the bleeding because the wound is slightly deeper and it can be felt throughout the day, sometimes until the next day.

As for a weeper I submit to the B&B definition in the glossary: "A small nick." Although I'd add to that: [...], the bleeding of which can be stopped immediately after applying a styptic pencil.

Therefore, for me a weeper is a more superficial wound and a nick a more deeper one.

I'd consider all wounds from cartridge razors nicks and not weepers and I consider it to be a comfortable shave if the only injury would be one nick or one weeper without any other irritation.

Thank you for the reply. It seems like the cartridge thing is not my own imagination.

 

[MrSpeedy]

If I see blood, it's a nick.

I agree, the nicks from a DE razor are "cleaner" and close up quicker than ones from a cartridge. As you said, likely because it's sharper.

It depends on how bad the nick is, but I'm definitely taking at least partial points off when I rate it in the "What did you use today" thread.

 

[Rhody]

Definitely blood. A weeper for me stops sometime during the shave to the cold water rinse. A Nick is usually resulting from a slash type cut based on some error on my part that bleeds. If the im lucky the alum will stop it. The best way to tackle my chin is atg but it’s risky too. Yesterday I got a nick there - more of a deeper wider weeper wound - when that stopped there was a visible reddish little glob on my chin. Small yes but was great timing for a zoom meeting

 

[musicman1951]

Definitely blood. A weeper for me stops sometime during the shave to the cold water rinse. A Nick is usually resulting from a slash type cut based on some error on my part that bleeds. If the im lucky the alum will stop it. The best way to tackle my chin is atg but it’s risky too. Yesterday I got a nick there - more of a deeper wider weeper wound - when that stopped there was a visible reddish little glob on my chin. Small yes but was great timing for a zoom meeting

I would agree if you would agree. A weeper is tiny - a spot of blood. A nick indicates it's time to get the styptic pencil out and reevaluate concentration levels - unless you're new to shaving.

I can't remember the last time I used a cartridge, except to say it was unpleasant. I haven't had a nick since the beginning of DE shaving, but it was a pretty good one - I misjudged the distance from the razor to my chin and bounced the blade off my skin below my lower lip.

A weeper makes me feel less than. I routinely go about 3 months between weepers, which indicates to me that they are totally unnecessary - unless I do what I did the last time I had one - let my brain wander away from the task at hand. I hate them as I think of them as a bad report card for the day's shave.

 

[notsotalented]

Definitely blood. A weeper for me stops sometime during the shave to the cold water rinse.

A weeper is tiny - a spot of blood.

I see. So clearly I need to do some catchup reading on the "common established knowledge", especially in this case "a weeper" . Thank you guys for sharing your perspective.
I had quite a pleasant time when using a cartridge razor, and when I switched to DE, the shaving, just like everyone says, evolved to a new level. Looking back right now I do feel the DE razor is superior to the cartridge razor, at least in my situation it was the Mach 3 Sensitive versus the Feather Popular and DE89.

Luckily, I have been careful enough so that there was only bloodshed, not bloodbath. But I vividly remember 2 nicks from the cartridge time. Both were unpleasant and needed almost a day to stop irritating.

 

[BigJ]

If I see blood, it's a nick.

I agree, the nicks from a DE razor are "cleaner" and close up quicker than ones from a cartridge. As you said, likely because it's sharper.

It depends on how bad the nick is, but I'm definitely taking at least partial points off when I rate it in the "What did you use today" thread.

+1! ‘Blood’ defines a nick (for me at least)! I don’t get nicks often, certainly less often than irritation and it has been some time since I shaved with a cart.

 

[SmokedStanley]

If I see blood, it's a nick.

+1! ‘Blood’ defines a nick (for me at least)!

+2 any blood, no matter how quickly it stops is a Nick. I generally found nicks from cartridges and DE to be quite similar in severity (mostly minor). As for if I still consider it a good comfortable shave if I get a nick, that depends on if it was my carelessness or mistake that caused it, was it the razor that caused it and how many/how severe.

 

[KW Driver]

I simply prefer the Swanson'd Offerman of Nicks. the Offerman ain't bad either all things considered.

not much of a fan of nicks beyond that. a nick is any cutting of the skin for me. weepers are a durma-bration of the top layer for me, usually resulting in or noticeable by at least a plasma release.

 

[Jens]

A "nick" in my perception is anything bleeding. That does not necessarily equal a bad shave.
I have gouged myself quite severely when I first ventured into straight razors, that's a straight "cut", which is not pleasant, but again not equal to a bad shave over all.
What is worse, I find, is irritation arising from razor burn, or ****ty blades and/or razors.

You may not draw blood that way, but the effect after the shave is much more unpleasant that a mere cut.
It can keep itching and stinging for much of the remaining part of the day, and be caused from any razor if you overdo things.
In fact, as I am usually a little more careful with a straight razor, I rarely get irritation from straight razor shaves.
Much worse, are razors that I *think* are super mild, and which then make me go over the same spot again and again, to the effect that I get irritation.

My best example are the Henson razors. Because of the infamous "locked angle" on the Henson razor head design, it is very easy to get irritation from using a Henson. I almost always do, anyway. But rarely with visible blood.

 

[Wombat ESQ]

Warfarin + =

 

[notsotalented]

A "nick" in my perception is anything bleeding. That does not necessarily equal a bad shave.
I have gouged myself quite severely when I first ventured into straight razors, that's a straight "cut", which is not pleasant, but again not equal to a bad shave over all.
What is worse, I find, is irritation arising from razor burn, or ****ty blades and/or razors.

You may not draw blood that way, but the effect after the shave is much more unpleasant that a mere cut.
It can keep itching and stinging for much of the remaining part of the day, and be caused from any razor if you overdo things.
In fact, as I am usually a little more careful with a straight razor, I rarely get irritation from straight razor shaves.
Much worse, are razors that I *think* are super mild, and which then make me go over the same spot again and again, to the effect that I get irritation.

My best example are the Henson razors. Because of the infamous "locked angle" on the Henson razor head design, it is very easy to get irritation from using a Henson. I almost always do, anyway. But rarely with visible blood.

I see you also aim more towards the feelings (irritations) rather than the bloodshed. I have somewhat of sensitive skin so I understand the "hate" towards irritations

 

[Jens]

Warfarin + =

I am not kidding, after I got started up on Warfarin my shaving technique improved radically...!
I was forced to ... the tiniest little weeper would immediately make a mess on anticoagulants ...
Only solution was to be really careful and precise with shaving ...

 

[Quaznoid]

I hate nicks, Celtics all the way !!!