Thread: Shaving in Literature

I've just re-read Moby Dick for the first time in about 15 years while holed up sick in bed over a long weekend There's a nice little passage in the early chapters about the shaving regime of Queequeg the harpooneer:

...He then donned his waistcoat, and taking up a piece of hard soap on the wash-stand centre-table, dipped it into water and commenced lathering his face. I was watching to see where he kept his razor, when lo and behold, he takes the harpoon from the bed corner, slips out the long wooden stock, unsheathes the head, whets it a little on his boot, and striding up to the bit of mirror against the wall, begins a vigorous scraping, or rather harpooning of his cheeks. Thinks I, Queequeg, this is using Rogers's best cutlery with a vengeance. Afterwards I wondered the less at this operation when I came to know of what fine steel the head of a harpoon is made, and how exceedingly sharp the long straight edges are always kept.

I think I'm getting a touch of HAD.

Anyway, does anyone else know of any shaving references in other books? I'm guessing there must be thousands...

James.

Bravo! Excellent thread. Here's a snippet from "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" in which Sherlock Holmes says:


"My dear fellow, I know you well. I know the military neatness which characterises you. You shave every morning, and in this season you shave by the sunlight; but since your shaving is less and less complete as we get farther back on the left side, until it becomes positively slovenly as we get round the angle of the jaw, it is surely very clear that that side is less illuminated than the other. I could not imagine a man of your habits looking at himself in an equal light and being satisfied with such a result. I only quote this as a trivial example of observation and inference."


-Steve

I love it! Hadn't thought about looking for this in the literature, but it makes perfect sense. I'll have to be on the look out for these. Great...just what I need...yet another way this str8 shaving beckons me to spend time I don't have .

Besides the simple pleasure of reading these accounts, there is a certain enlightening, educational prospect to the past literary references. Though shaving with a harpoon doesn't inform us of the typical man's daily hygiene, there are tidbits about what was common practice and knowledge in the settings of literature.

Thanks for the posts!

- Dale

I started a similar thread a while back, http://straightrazorpalace.com/showt...ght=literature,. It didn't seem to catch on all that well. <shrug> Thanks for the quotes.

Ahh - sorry Toddo. I should know by now to search the forums before starting a "new" thread.

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I've just re-read Moby Dick for the first time in about 15 years while holed up sick in bed over a long weekend

Well done, that's a whale of a tale. I'm a slow reader, but I wasn't sick and it took me months.

X

Originally Posted by xman

Well done, that's a whale of a tale. I'm a slow reader, but I wasn't sick and it took me months.

X

It's an incredible book - I found once I started I couldn't put it down.

James.

Actually X, you reminded me. I'm honing a razor for a member - a George Butler (Sheffield). There's a quote from Love's Labor Lost etched into the blade (as well as a picture of the man himself)

"KEEN as is this razors edge invisible"

James.

I am going to low brow it a bit but I remember a reference to blade shaving that had strong influence upon my fascination with blade shaving from the Thomas Covenant series by Stephen R. Donaldson
He was a leper and cutting himself was out of the question. Despite the hazards he maintained the discipline of a daily open blade shave.

Originally Posted by Creel

I am going to low brow it a bit but I remember a reference to blade shaving that had strong influence upon my fascination with blade shaving from the Thomas Covenant series by Stephen R. Donaldson
He was a leper and cutting himself was out of the question. Despite the hazards he maintained the discipline of a daily open blade shave.

I remember reading that series when I was younger. I never liked it because Covenant didn't fit my "fantasy hero" criteria (not like Belgarion, say...) But I never twigged he used a straight - I might go back and have another look. Thanks Creel.

James.