Thread: Free Book PDF from 1905: "Shaving Made Easy"

Did my second cold water shave this morning. I was really dreading it but it wasn't that uncomfortable at all. The prep and lathering I mean. The shave itself is just fine. I will do a couple more and then try the hot again and decide if it is worth it to go cold.

This a great resource from the golden age of straight razor shaving. I have to try cold water. I must admit it's counter intuitive after all these years.

Many thanks; I've just saved it and will print it out for the Struggling Straight Razor Shaver's Library later.

The preface points to the book arising out of the needs of a transitional period, from a time when men commonly went to the barber for a shave, maybe just once a week (I recall in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, set around the time of this book, when Johnny Nolan's barber gives his widow the mug that had been his) to a wider adoption of shaving (and probably more often) at home.

~Rich

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

On P10 the author recommends magnesia and talcum powder. Are these to be used as abrasives for the strop or for something else? And does anyone here use them?

(Thanks for the link, I really like the book.)

Cheers

Hi Frank... "magnesia" is likely carbonate of magnesia, which is climber's/gymnast's/weightlifter's chalk (not blackboard chalk). I was looking for the stuff after posting an old recipe for strop dressing that included it. I recently bought a "chack bag" which is a porous cloth bag full of the stuff for about $5. I rubbed the bag twice across my daily linen strop a week ago and found the chalk clings to the line by itself quite nicely (still there).

Dave

Originally Posted by dgstr8

Hi Frank... "magnesia" is likely carbonate of magnesia, which is climber's/gymnast's/weightlifter's chalk (not blackboard chalk). I was looking for the stuff after posting an old recipe for strop dressing that included it. I recently bought a "chack bag" which is a porous cloth bag full of the stuff for about $5. I rubbed the bag twice across my daily linen strop a week ago and found the chalk clings to the line by itself quite nicely (still there).

Dave

Thanks, Dave. Would you say the edge is better for having used it?

Thanks for unearthing the book copy,a long buried gem an excellent find and a joy to read,kudos.

Well I guess since I've been lurking for a few months now it's time to join. Thanks for the link to the book, it seems pretty interesting. As for how to hold the razor, my grandpa showed me the same way when I asked him how to do it.

Originally Posted by riminicat

Well I guess since I've been lurking for a few months now it's time to join. Thanks for the link to the book, it seems pretty interesting. As for how to hold the razor, my grandpa showed me the same way when I asked him how to do it.

Welcome to SRP. If you have your grandpa's razor that would really be the cat's whiskers. So you've been shaving with a straight right along ?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Welcome to SRP. If you have your grandpa's razor that would really be the cat's whiskers. So you've been shaving with a straight right along ?

Unfortunately my grandpa wont give his razor up, it belonged to his grandpa and was given to him the first time he ever shaved over sixty years ago. But I do shave with a disposable straight edge because I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it when I started. Now I'm hooked.

Well I hope your grandpa lives many more years but you may get it eventually. In the meanwhile getting a sure enough shave ready straight razor would be a real pleasure for your shaving experience to come.