Tell me about your worst shaving experience

Many moons ago (about 300 years if memory serves) I was in the military on a multi day outdoor training camp. In Missouri. In January. (cold & humid)

Most tried to just cover their whiskers with camouflage paint - but that solution was short lived. Eventually I, like all the rest, had to shave in the freezing open air of an impressively cold morning. Couldn’t feel my fingers as they were numb from the cold; couldn’t even tell if the water I used to wash my face was warm. Each stroke of the razor was like ripping whiskers from my face. Basically, I applied enough lather to do 1 or 2 strokes with the razor, then repeated until I completed the most excruciatingly slow and painful single pass shave of my life.

What has been your worst shaving experience?

Freaky, I was just telling this story only a few hours ago. When I was about 15 or so in high school I could already grow a full beard. It helped greatly with buying cigarettes and booze in the 80's! When I would get rid of the beard, not knowing anything really about proper shaving, I would first trim the beard down with scissors. Never dawned on me I could use hair clippers to get much closer. On top of that, I was using a basic shaving foam most likely and a single Bic disposable razor. Making things worse, I didn't even wash my face or wet it. I just applied the foam and shaved away. I still had pretty good growth because the scissors didn't get me close at all. It was literally ripping the hair out. It was horrible to say the least. Last year I shaved probably a close equivalent of my teen beard (I had 4+ weeks growth) with a Merkur Futur wide open and a Merkur 39C slant (both with Feather blades) with relative ease and comfort. And got a much better shave to boot!

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(03-19-2021, 03:38 PM)mike_the_kraken Wrote: What has been your worst shaving experience?

2015 January 9:  I was pulling the skin on my cheek taut with my left hand while moving the razor with my right hand. 

Two fingers with one stroke of the razor.  

Interesting timing.   I think my worst ever was probably this morning.  I was thinking of snapping a selfie to authenticate my story, but it's just too gross.

I washed my face, as usual.  Used one of my best soaps (Sebum).  Selected a new top-quality blade and popped it in my Tradere.

What followed is horrible.  Oh my goodness, painful scraping, many little and not so little nicks, and just a terrible, terrible experience.  After less than half my face shaved, I said, "this blade is no good," and switched it.  I kept wondering how quality control could be so bad that a seriously defective blade got through.

And then the answer came.

While putting the blade in the Tradere, the phone rang and I stopped to answer it.  Then I came back and proceeded with the shave.  

What I did not do was tighten the razor.  I can't believe that I was so dumb as to not notice that the blade was not firmly in the razor.

Well, a few treatments of alum, and tons of moisturizer, but I'm still a hell of a mess, to put it mildly.  I'm taking a few days off from shaving to let my face heal.