Thread: 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"

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.

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:


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.