Thread: 1880s-1890s shave?

Originally Posted by SRNewb

As for honing a razor, I suspect they probably settled for a bit less smooth or comfortable edge. Get it shaving good and on with it. Too much else to do to worry much about it.

Not so sure about that one. My grandfather used Arkansas stones on everything, and I'm fairly certain his father did too. They might've only had 2, a soft and a 'hard.' We'd call it Black or Translucent I suppose. But I think you might be surprised just how common the skill was back in the day. Everyone carried a pocket knife or blade of some sort. Kitchen knives and such needed an edge. And people didn't just toss things out and replace them like they do now, they fixed them and made them work.

On the other hand, I have a co-worker that literally told me he never sharpens his pocket knives. He just breaks them when they get too dull and goes out to the tool truck to get it warranteed out. For the life of me I don't know how the Snap-on dealer hasn't caught on yet.

I'm not saying they shaved with bad edges, But I no matter how skilled a person is, one or two arkies aren't going to get them the hyper keen edges we get today from 20k and 30k synthetic stones. And edges considered really sharp on things like a hand plane or hand tools aren't even close to what we expect today from a razor.
Not saying they had bad edges, but they probably did not fuss about it as much as we did. They made it work.

Originally Posted by SRNewb

I'm not saying they shaved with bad edges, But I no matter how skilled a person is, one or two arkies aren't going to get them the hyper keen edges we get today from 20k and 30k synthetic stones. And edges considered really sharp on things like a hand plane or hand tools aren't even close to what we expect today from a razor.
Not saying they had bad edges, but they probably did not fuss about it as much as we did. They made it work.

Don't forget you can get a quite acceptable shave off a 1k. (Worth mentioning, I did it myself the other day just to check something, and the thrill of it actually working quite well more than compensated for the lack of smoothness). Further, these were the guys using cotis, thurries, and arks, which if I'm not mistaken, is exactly what we're using.
I think they probably thought about it much as we would think of cleaning our teeth. Some of us are quite happy with an old fashioned toothbrush, some need an expensive machine, others don't much care.

With an Escher or Translucent Arkansas and pasted paddle or strop (CrOx is roughly 30k+) they would be getting a very superior edge. It might take longer and not be as consistent as synthetic hones but it will get there. I've done a few total Arkansas stone progressions to test it out and I got VERY good results, it does take a long time.

Originally Posted by SRNewb

I'm not saying they shaved with bad edges, But I no matter how skilled a person is, one or two arkies aren't going to get them the hyper keen edges we get today from 20k and 30k synthetic stones. And edges considered really sharp on things like a hand plane or hand tools aren't even close to what we expect today from a razor.
Not saying they had bad edges, but they probably did not fuss about it as much as we did. They made it work.

Originally Posted by rodb

With an Escher or Translucent Arkansas and pasted paddle or strop (CrOx is roughly 30k+) they would be getting a very superior edge. It might take longer and not be as consistent as synthetic hones but it will get there. I've done a few total Arkansas stone progressions to test it out and I got VERY good results, it does take a long time.

Yup +1 and with anything the more you do it the quicker you get.

Seems to me that I remember reading that the wives and daughters shaved the men. Bet husbands and wives got along alot better in those households. ..lol

Although folks back in the 1880's did shave albeit selectively in my opinion. Seems beards were more the norm in fact a quite popular display of manliness and virility. Oh if you think shaving gear is expensive now here's a little quote about Gilletes first razor machine to give some perspective on cost hehehe.

The first razor machines were patented by the Kampfer Brothers in 1880 in Germany. At that time people used razors blades made of steel, which were relatively expensive, needed to be sharpened periodically, and rusted with continuous use. In 1893, King Camp Gillette, (1855-1932), a salesman of the company Crown Cork and Seal Co., bottle caps makers, designed a razor machine much more affordable, thinner and lighter, with detachable blades. The first Gillette razor machines were offered at 5 dollars, which should be something like 140 dollars today. The average salary for a worker was around 40 or 50 dollars monthly. In 1902 was created the Gillette Safety Razor Company. The company was a supplier of the United States army in the First World War. Gillette was selling at that time 70 millions razor blades and nearly 500 thousand razor machines yearly.

No wonder his company is still around today

I believe back in the 1880's & 1890's, times were getting better. Mercantile stores, dry good stores were in small towns & hardware stores in larger cities, for example Shapleigh Hardware who started doing business back in 1843, E.C. Simmons Hardware who began doing business in 1868 & many more. Many of us have razors that either came mostly from Germany & some from Sheffield that have hardware store names on them. Importing & exporting was happening back then so that is where all the razors from Germany came from plus the Sheffield makers that were coming over before the 1900's opening offices here on the east coast like NY city & others to sell their goods. Barber hones were around since no telling but I have some from the early 1900's. I have a couple of the "Carborundum Company" barber hones & in the lower left hand corner, it says "Gold Medal, Chicago 1890".



People were pretty smart back then & most had what they needed to get the job done. Many made their own lye soap which is what many more than likely used or used no soap at all. They made do with what they had. I like watching the old westerns & some will show a straight razor, others show a person stropping a straight razor & I don't think there was a shortage of leather back then. Here's a pic from my book, "The Knife Makers Who Went West":


I added this pic because people from overseas were coming here & by the time the 1880's & 1890's came, they were selling their products as well.

There may have been some who lived out in the rural areas or backwoods & they either grew a beard or made do with what they had. I'm sure if a man wanted to shave in those years, he could have figured out a way to hone his razor but when they would buy them, I'm sure the clerk in the store would also try to sell them a barbers hone & a strop. Just imagining if I lived back then, I took a few pics of what they might have had.

Here is one that may have been a premium shave back then with an E.C. Simmons Keen Kutter strop, a Swaty barber hone, Jonathan Crooks razor & maybe some Lilac water. I remember watching High Plains Drifter & the barber asks if Clint Eastwood wants some Lilac water for a dime extra. It was only a movie but they try to make 'em the way things were back then.



Or suppose one didn't have a brush so he used his hands to put soap on his face..........


A man may have had a shaving box like this one in that era. These not only had a mirror on them but there was room inside for a brush, soap, a few razors, a barber hone plus whatever else could fit in it.


There were those who did know how to hone a razor, but there were some who didn't.
I have also gotten a few razors that had not been honed in ages yet it was pretty sharp. Then we all see some that have been honed until there is no more left to hone.

Nice pics, Engine. I like that scene in High Plains Drifter. I love the old westerns too.
It wouldn't make very good mercantile sense to price a razor beyond the reach of the very men they were intended for. I'm still not convinced everyone wanted a good razor:
Blacksmith: "You haven't had a shave this morning!"
Lumberjack: "No; I've run out of lilac water!
Blacksmith: "Oh, I'll give you mine. I've just ordered some rose water, and a new silver steel razor from Rodgers."
Lumberjack: "Splendid! I look forward to it."

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

Nice pics, Engine. I like that scene in High Plains Drifter. I love the old westerns too.
It wouldn't make very good mercantile sense to price a razor beyond the reach of the very men they were intended for. I'm still not convinced everyone wanted a good razor:
Blacksmith: "You haven't had a shave this morning!"
Lumberjack: "No; I've run out of lilac water!
Blacksmith: "Oh, I'll give you mine. I've just ordered some rose water, and a new silver steel razor from Rodgers."
Lumberjack: "Splendid! I look forward to it."

I agree. Mercantile owners had to price their items just enough to make a profit. Things were more affordable & if you made money, it wasn't a problem. And like someone mentioned, there was bartering back then. These days some people try to make 10 times more than an item is worth.
In the westerns I watch, I try to see if I can identify a straight razor but I never can because they won't show it that much. On High plains Drifter, you can see a pretty good pic of the razor & it looks like a good size blade but just don't know what the maker is. I saw one just the other day & I forgot which movie it was but I think someone was stropping a razor.