Practice and Science of Standard Barbering

I am sure that a few of you have probably read the chapters on shaving etc in this book.

Just a couple of observations/questions.

1. The book mentions the use of lather to hone a razor, I have read about using a little dish soap, but never lather.

2. It seems that you can clean a pasted strop. Lather and then scrap the lather off with a pair of shears. The lather is said to remove the build up on a strop.

3. The strop is supposed to be closer to the floor so that you strokes are more down and up than straight across.

4. Rubbing hard soap into canvas is supposed to break it in?

5. Silk or linen instead of canvas?

6. Barbers, I had no idea, were full service shops that did everything on the head and face. Except for popping black and white heads I would love to find a barber like this.

7. Dry sterilization. Is formaldehyde gas safe? The book talks of Formalin mixed with Borax to create a "dry sterilization cabinet". Would love one of these if it is safe.

If you have not read it or we do not have a link for it can we put it on the Wiki. It is out of copyright.

Is it this one? Image:Help Files Standard Barbering 1967.pdf - Straight Razor Place Wiki

It is a good read!

Mine is by Thorpe printed 1951.

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Originally Posted by singlewedge

Mine is by Thorpe printed 1951.

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Ah, I found that edition here
The 1967 is just a later edition by the same author

Same place I found mine.

Really good stuff.

Back in the '80s when I was messing with collecting and trying to hone and shave with straights I spoke to quite a few barbers in the North New Jersey area. They used coticules with lather from the hot lather machine to hone. They used a Swaty or similar hone dry to refresh an edge between honing. They referred to the coticule as a 'soap stone'.

The strop was hanging on a hook attached to the arm of the barber chair. Usually a Koken with the older chairs. All of the vintage strops I have are linen for the fabric side. The old guys seemed to like Dubl Duck and Red Imp strops. Whether by choice or because that was what was readily available I don't know.

They did prefer Dubl Duck and FWE (Fried Wilh & Engels) razors. At least the ones that I asked. I remember one fellow telling me that he thought any Solingen razor was good with Sheffields being a close second. One man's opinion of course.