Need Help: UK - vintage ahaving mores and items - 1914-1920

Hi all,

I need help regarding the shaving habits, items and particulars back in 1914 to 1920 in Great Britain, particularly the Northern regions (Blackpool - Accrington - Preston) and London and greater London on the other hand (if geography plays any role there). I'm not very knowledgeable in this regard, so I would value everyone's input. I'll ask my questions with detail, but please answer from whatever angle you have knowledge there:

1. What sort of shaving item would a young man of 16-18 years age have started shaving with (a shopkeeper's assistant, so lower middle-class, if that's important)?
2. Would he have taken these items along as a soldier (other ranks) or would the army have provided him with something standard? I'm aware of the fact that uniform rules still made the mustache obligatory, yet a lot of soldiers went clean-shaven. Does anyone know whether these were all volunteers?
3. What brands and kinds of shaving soap and aftershave were available in the UK in 1914? During the war in the army? In 1918? How did they smell like, how act as substances?
4. How did these items all look like? I'd be overjoyed to be pointed at photos.
5. How expensive were they? Where from would a man buy them in a city or in a rural area?
6. What were the shaving norms in civilian life at the time? By that I wonder whether e.g. a 5-o'clock shadow would have to come off in general before dinner or only for certain occasions. Also how much the loss of the ability to grow a beard or a mustache would be a hardship or mortification for a young man.
7. Who would have taught him to shave? Father? Elder brother? A visit to a barber?

I know, curious questions ;) I really hope for a few answers though. Thank you everyone who tries to wrap their brains around this!

Cheers

B.

Well, i am no expert but i did stumble upon a book written in 1905 that came out here in the states that is aimed at teaching men how to get the best shave without having to go to the barber. I guess you could see it as the days SRP forum haha. but from what i picked up in the few pages i read it seemed at that time (1905) it was becoming more common for people to shave themselves, as opposed to going to the barber for every shave. So due to this fact, younger men would probably not have as reliable of a source in their father/brother etc seeing as they were probably brought up going to the barber for a shave.
As far as any of your other questions, perhaps the book goes into that (remember though, it was written in 1905, a little before your span of dates in question) so here is the link to the PDF http://ia700406.us.archive.org/7/ite...asyw0020th.pdf

And again, im no expert so if anyone wants to come in and say im full of crap, i would take no offense to that haha. And would love to hear some more accurate info.

-Tyler

Another note, the table of contents is on page 7, so that might help you stumble around in it as its about 100 pages long

Thank you, Tyler, I will look into this :)

Cheers

B.

Keep in mind this site is dedicated to use and care of razors and related. Scholarly treatment of the subject is really out in left field. Unless you get someone personally interested in shaving history and lore you probably won't get much of the type of information you are looking for.

Hi TheBigSpendur,

oh - I am not looking for a "scholarly treatment" :D

I simply hope there will be a few members among the big number here who happen to have come across such information or maybe even collect such items and info. I'm not hunting for a scientific tract or anything ;)

Cheers,

B

I'm sure lots of folks are wondering, so I'll ask...

what prompted the need for this specific information??

Hi Cangooner,

I need to describe this, as authentically as possible, in a book. I'm researching it myself as well, but find that the input of men who actually shave this way and have quite different insights from myself would be very valuable to also have.

E.g. I know that Bay Rum was a preparation for aftershave treatment. But was it available ready-made or was there a recipe? How did it smell and feel like, what effect did it have on the skin, etc..

Hope this answers your question?

Cheers

B.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Berenice

Hi Cangooner,

I need to describe this, as authentically as possible, in a book. I'm researching it myself as well, but find that the input of men who actually shave this way and have quite different insights from myself would be very valuable to also have.

E.g. I know that Bay Rum was a preparation for aftershave treatment. But was it available ready-made or was there a recipe? How did it smell and feel like, what effect did it have on the skin, etc..

Hope this answers your question?

Cheers

B.

---

Interesting! I think you've set yourself one heck of a challenge with this. As thebigspendur indicated there is a bit of a shortage of reliable info in the field, and a whole lot of myth and legend.

I'm afraid I can't help you with this very much at all at the moment, but I am pretty sure that I have seen a number of 'issue' straight razors issued to British troops, and I'm also pretty sure that at least some of them were circa WWI. Not sure on that, but it's ringing some bells. I'll see if I can remind myself where I got that from and pass on any info I come across.

For the cost of razors, try a google image search for "vintage straight razor ad" or something similar. For example, I have an ad from 1896 that lists Wade & Butcher hollow ground razors at between $8.00 and $17.00 per dozen, and De Pews at 16.00 per doz. So the info is definitely out there, and it should just be a matter of finding ads from the right time and place. Quite a few end up on ebay, so you might want to check images on listings there. Same goes for soaps too. I suspect you will find a fair number of soap ads. I have a Williams Shaving Soap ad from 1900 that lists the following:
Williams Shaving Sticks 1s.
Williams Luxury shaving tablets (??? What the heck were those? I have no idea!) 1s.
Williams American shaving tablets 6d
Williams "Jersey Cream" toilet soap 6d.

And no prizes folks for guessing what kind of 'art' decorates my bathroom. :)

Good luck! And please keep us posted.

EDIT: is a soap 'tablet' just what we would now call a 'puck'?

I can't provide much info, but hope this helps:

There was a co-op, the Army & Navy Cooperative Society, which was set up to provide military men with all kinds of useful items, and I've seen shaving related kit such as razor rolls/cases, and I think straight razors as well, with their brand marks. They were independent from 1870 to 1930-ish, so that covers your period. History here.

I also have a razor stamped "H. M. Govt", made by J Rodgers ('Cutlers to their majesties') and I've always assumed it was made for the military. I suspect it's a bit later than the Great War era, but attach photo anyway:
Attachment 105705

I know that several straight razor specialist companies went bust in the early 1920s, and that safety razors with disposable blades came on the market around 1900, so both would have been available to soldiers in the time you're interested in.

Hope some of that's useful.

Shoot puck now Coach? Oh wait, your'e talking about a different kind of puck...

Hi Matt,

thanks!!! :D That's precisely the sort of information I am hunting for. Thanks so much!

Cheers

B.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Scookum

Shoot puck now Coach? Oh wait, your'e talking about a different kind of puck...

---

HEY!!! I was a 25 goal-scorer one year...one year...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mapleleafalumnus

HEY!!! I was a 25 goal-scorer one year...one year...

---

Hey, me too!

OK, my 25 came in about 1986 while playing for Roblin Park Raiders in Winnipeg's Tier III rec league, two of them deflected in off defencemens' helmets, and another two were empty-netters, but I'm claiming it just the same! :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cangooner

Hey, me too!

OK, my 25 came in about 1986 while playing for Roblin Park Raiders in Winnipeg's Tier III rec league, two of them deflected in off defencemens' helmets, and another two were empty-netters, but I'm claiming it just the same! :)

---

Off of brain buckets?!?! I gotta hear about those! :roflmao
Couldn't anybody skate? Or were you the goalie?
Box hockey or floor hockey? :rofl2:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Berenice

Hi all,

I need help regarding the shaving habits, items and particulars back in 1914 to 1920 in Great Britain, particularly the Northern regions (Blackpool - Accrington - Preston) and London and greater London on the other hand (if geography plays any role there). I'm not very knowledgeable in this regard, so I would value everyone's input. I'll ask my questions with detail, but please answer from whatever angle you have knowledge there:

1. What sort of shaving item would a young man of 16-18 years age have started shaving with (a shopkeeper's assistant, so lower middle-class, if that's important)?
2. Would he have taken these items along as a soldier (other ranks) or would the army have provided him with something standard? I'm aware of the fact that uniform rules still made the mustache obligatory, yet a lot of soldiers went clean-shaven. Does anyone know whether these were all volunteers?
3. What brands and kinds of shaving soap and aftershave were available in the UK in 1914? During the war in the army? In 1918? How did they smell like, how act as substances?
4. How did these items all look like? I'd be overjoyed to be pointed at photos.
5. How expensive were they? Where from would a man buy them in a city or in a rural area?
6. What were the shaving norms in civilian life at the time? By that I wonder whether e.g. a 5-o'clock shadow would have to come off in general before dinner or only for certain occasions. Also how much the loss of the ability to grow a beard or a mustache would be a hardship or mortification for a young man.
7. Who would have taught him to shave? Father? Elder brother? A visit to a barber?

I know, curious questions ;) I really hope for a few answers though. Thank you everyone who tries to wrap their brains around this!

Cheers

B.

---

Just PM Wullie. He was there!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cangooner

Hey, me too!

OK, my 25 came in about 1986 while playing for Roblin Park Raiders in Winnipeg's Tier III rec league, two of them deflected in off defencemens' helmets, and another two were empty-netters, but I'm claiming it just the same! :)

---

My coach bought me a snow shovel...if you don't get it, MLA should.

Just PM Wullie. He was there!

Who is Wullie and, erm, how old is he? ;)

Cheers

B.

You can try: http://s12.zetaboards.com/The_Trench...opic/127588/1/

Apr 14 2006,
The issue British razor was a "cut-throat" (straight) razor in a case (handle) of a black/dark grey compound, similar to that used for identity discs. Earlier patterns (horn handle) and cilvilan blades have also been seen.

The British issue blade is didtinguished by having a square cut end as opposed to the more common (civilian) rounded tip*

Any Safety razors carried by British swaddies would have been private purchase.


* I think this possibly dates back to the practice of destinguishing Government issue kit, to try and prevent their sale onto the civilian market."

I believe that I saw that shaving in the trenches was almost a necessity because of the use of poison gas. Your gas mask didn't fit properly over a beard. Not good.

Wow, that's a find, because I was scouring the WWI sources already! And ouch on the material, because if it really was the same as the discs, then the handles would have been very likely to dissolve. It was little more than lacquered cardboard and already proved a huge problem with the identity markers which were mush but weeks after the men's demise exposed to the Flanders mud and rain. Kits and haversacks also got wet very often.

Would a square tip have made any difference in handling or shaving comfort?

Cheers

B.

Come to think of it, I read somewhere that the mustaches had to come off with anyone out in the lines because of gas all right. I'd hazard that - on top of that - scalp and privates most likely already itched enough, having lice in the beard must also have been icky. So question 2 is sort of solved :)

Cheers

B.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Matt69

I also have a razor stamped "H. M. Govt", made by J Rodgers ('Cutlers to their majesties') and I've always assumed it was made for the military.

---

Hmmm... Looks very close to the "Surgeon Razor" in Soviet Union. Made fully from stainless steel for disinfecting by high temperature in autoclaves

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Berenice

Come to think of it, I read somewhere that the mustaches had to come off with anyone out in the lines because of gas all right.

---

I heard that the safety razors came in general use due to the appearance of gas-mask. In old masks the rubber was not vulcanized well so it stick to the whiskers and facial hairs. And solders need to shave off often and well.
Beards were prohibited coz it prevent the pressurization.
I took a look on the photos of Russian soldiers and saw that in the beginning it was a lot of people with the facial hairs and at the end of war the people were mostly shaven. Even the mustaches. Except the navy and cavalry. They keep their "man sign" untouched.
Hope it helps.
Sorry my bad English.

Привет Neff!

Yes, that's what I also suppose is the main reason. And I discovered that for the British the uniform rules were lifted to allow for the clean-shaven look but after 1916, though a lot were shaven including the upper lip before that. Makes sense.

Your English is far better than my Russian ;)

Cheers

B.

Yes, with a full face gas mask getting a proper seal would be pretty impossible with a beard or even heavy stubble on the neck and jawline. I don't see a mustache as being too much of a problem though.

In the early 1970s the navy was almost the only branch of the Canadian military that were allowed to grow beards, the growth of which has to be requested first. People with beards were warned before doing firefighting and going through the gas hut to at least trim the facial hair on the neck to jawline.

You knew when somebody got it wrong when they puked in their masks. The consequences in the trenches during WWI would have been lethal, not the slightest bit humourous as it was for us.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BobH

I don't see a mustache as being too much of a problem though.

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You need to take a look at their mustaches :rofl2:
Our ancestors have had HUGE facial ones. I got the special mug from my great-grandpa with special bridge in it to keep the hairs out of the tea. Don't have the pic of it right now, but it looks like this one
Attachment 105775
So it looks like some barrier for breath and if we remember the moisture in first gas-mask (at my military service I have tested the 1939 gas-mask and it was horrible) it can be issue for usage

Neff

That is so true, I completely forgot about how mustache styles have changed over the years. No matter how they improve on those gas masks I don't think they will ever be really comfortable to wear.

Bob