Thread: What if it were 1860?

Wow 20 shaves and no stropping? I havent heard of that before ever. I read somewhere that a razor only required stropping every 6 or so shaves, a comment I could never agree with for personal satisfaction. I didn't think anyone had ever contemplated or tried it.

Originally Posted by Stubear

I reckon that people used natural stones (Coticule, BBW etc..), barber hones and rouges on strops that the jewellers would have had for polishing.
......
so it probably wasnt a hobby for most people, it was a chore. So they probably didnt take such good care of the kit, and when the razor dulled they'd take it to the local barber and he'd hone it up for them or they'd use a barber hone or natural stone themselves.

+1 and

I think a lot can be learned from common kitchen knives.
In my house they are sharp but if I am visiting friends where
I might be drafted into kitchen duty like carving steak or a turkey
that is often not the cases. I bring a sharpening kit or a portable
carving kit because most people just do not keep their kitchen
knives sharp.

High end knives and stores more and more seem to have
sharpening services or events. An $800.00 dull knife set is just
a dull set of knives no better than a dull $25.00 set.

People in 1860 probably honed razors much like I do. I went to Ace Hardware bought a 6" two sided sharpening stone and got after it. It's not pretty, fancy or spendy but I've landed some wonderful shaves using nothing more than this stone and an antique 3" horsehide strap.

Originally Posted by northpaw

Hope this isn't too off-topic, but I'm sure I've read other accounts of people in the olden days who only used a strop to keep their razor sharp (other than the account already mentioned in this thread).

Has anyone here tried to see how long they could go leather-only? I'm thinking surely someone has. If it's doable at all in terms of what we consider a 'comfortable' shave, there may have been quite a few people who went that route back in the day - even if it wasn't necessarily the norm.

Others here have done this. I haven't honed in quite a while and find that good stropping helps get and keep my razor hair popping sharp.

With respect to people not maintaining their tools and having sub-standard shaves:

Old days - better and more mindful of maintainance and waste
I suspect that people in the old days were far better at maintaining their tools.

Today - disposable culture, less maintainance
These days we live in a more disposable culture. It can be cheaper to throw things out and replace them rather than maintain or fix them. How many people still darn socks? How many people sew or patch clothes?

I think that people would have taken good care of their razors and tried to maintain them well. Yes - maybe people may have accepted duller edges, maybe not.

All the best,
Michael.

Hi great googamooga,
Hey - whenever i see photos of men from around the 1860's-didn't i see them all with great big bushy beards and/or whiskars or sideburns!??
Seems to me that these men may have got fed up with using the straight razor -the pain and the suffering!! (thats why they invented d/e razors!)
regards
Noggs

20 shaves and no stropping? Thats nothing, I heard theres this guy who has a Chr*nik who went 40 shaves without stropping.

It was made of some mystical liquidy, shimmery steel as well, and the steel was mined from one of Jupiters moons...



Seriously though, 20 shaves and no stropping is a long time! The shave must have been pretty uncomfortable by the time you got to number 20..! Did you have to hone the razor after that to restore the edge or did stropping have it back to normal?

I find (generally speaking) the steel in my 19th century razors to be so much softer than my 20th century razors. Seems it would be easier keeping an oldie sharp.

Originally Posted by Stubear

Did you have to hone the razor after that to restore the edge or did stropping have it back to normal?

one normal stropping batch of 40 or 50 strokes on linen and leather restored it to its pre-experiment condition - at least as far as my face could tell. I didn't take special micrographs or anything though

If anyone wonders about generating enough power with a human powered tool to grind a razor take a look at what treadle power can do:

Blue Ox Human Powered Tools.* The Barnes Collection


If you want a treadle powered grinding wheel I'm sure you could adapt this set of plans to build a wood lathe and have one:

Build Treadle Wood Lathe From Scratch

In fact the plan already has a mount for a grinding wheel built in. You need some way to keep your turning tools sharp.

I also have a early 20th century hand crank grinding wheel made for clamping to any bench. The crank is about the same as that on a pencil sharpener and requires little more effort to turn but it is geared so that you generate enough speed to quickly throw sparks off of steel. It would be quite easy to burn a razor on it if you didn't pay attention.

If it were 1860, I'd be old by that late date. I am more interested in what/how things were done in mid/late 1700's.

The last few days I've been shaving with soap of olive oil, lye, and salt formulation. Cold water hand lathered coticule edge.