Thread: Straight razor shave in 1880?

I had s silk-smooth shave with my Thiers-Issard Historic Snake-wood 6/8 this morning. It cut a hanging hair with a little "ping" easily after getting a lot of attention on a Naniwa 12 K and a SRD strop.

I was thinking about how was a straight shave back then, in the good old days when a Straight was the usual way of shaving? Mr. John Smith, waking up in the middle of nowhere, picking up his old Straight, no softening of beard oil, warm water, TOBS Avocado cream, Simpson Chubby brush, five different sharpening stones and diamond pastes on his strop for his razor.

Probably a different kind of shave back then

I think the quality of the average shave back then probably contributed to the popularity of full beards.

Originally Posted by ama015

I had s silk-smooth shave with my Thiers-Issard Historic Snake-wood 6/8 this morning. It cut a hanging hair with a little "ping" easily after getting a lot of attention on a Naniwa 12 K and a SRD strop.

I was thinking about how was a straight shave back then, in the good old days when a Straight was the usual way of shaving? Mr. John Smith, waking up in the middle of nowhere, picking up his old Straight, no softening of beard oil, warm water, TOBS Avocado cream, Simpson Chubby brush, five different sharpening stones and diamond pastes on his strop for his razor.

Probably a different kind of shave back then

This is why a good barber was held in high esteem
and why many men only shaved for Sunday.

Originally Posted by Bill S

I think the quality of the average shave back then probably contributed to the popularity of full beards.

Funny, but no doubt true for many gentlemen in those days. In fact I've long thought that the reason why some men were said to have shaved twice a day was due to a shoddy initial shave. Kinda like shaving in the morning with an electric and having a 5 oclock shadow by 1:00...

Honestly though, shaving with a straight was simply shaving. Probably not much effort or pride involved. I'm also sure their razors weren't at a level of sharpness as we all seem to strive for nowadays.

Back in the old days folks just shaved and got good results with the basics they had available thank you.

We're just a pampered lot thinking without our armada of hones and strops and collections of razors and fretting about soaps and pre shaves and after shaves and methodology you can't possibly get a good shave. We've lost sight of the true nature of a shave and how little you really need to get a good result.

I guess when you spend all the time, effort and money on gear you've convinced yourself it's all a requirement.

I'd say more but I gotta go polish up my razor collection now.

I found a 4/8s Genco Jr. and an ancient (not 6 million years old...but cut maybe 110-150 years ago) thuringian stone in the drawer of a shaving stand in the shed. I asked my 80+ year old Mother about it. Not her Father's but, her Grandfather's.

She said when she was a little girl (1930's), he would shave on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He drew water from the well, built a fire in the cook stove and shaved in the kitchen before breakfast. He had one razor, one stone and used his belt as a strop. Soap was made once a year in the Fall after hog slaughtering. Ingredients were "hog renderings", lye, stove ashes and vanilla extract, period. She also said that he had made his own brush from, she thought, horse hair? Aftershave lotion was bay rum from the only barbershop in town, 12 miles away. A gift from his wife or daughters?

Mom said she remembers well that he whistled as he shaved.

That 1905 booklet that recommends the cold water shave says these new fangled safety razor contraptions will never make it. Come to think of it I bet back then hot water for shaving or bathing was hard to come by.

IIRC the French manual "Pogonotomie ou l'art de se raser soi meme", recommends to keep second razor at hand in case the one you are using disappoints or starts pulling during a shave.

Originally Posted by oldschooltools

I found a 4/8s Genco Jr. and an ancient (not 6 million years old...but cut maybe 110-150 years ago) thuringian stone in the drawer of a shaving stand in the shed. I asked my 80+ year old Mother about it. Not her Father's but, her Grandfather's.

She said when she was a little girl (1930's), he would shave on Wednesdays and Saturdays. He drew water from the well, built a fire in the cook stove and shaved in the kitchen before breakfast. He had one razor, one stone and used his belt as a strop. Soap was made once a year in the Fall after hog slaughtering. Ingredients were "hog renderings", lye, stove ashes and vanilla extract, period. She also said that he had made his own brush from, she thought, horse hair? Aftershave lotion was bay rum from the only barbershop in town, 12 miles away. A gift from his wife or daughters?

Mom said she remembers well that he whistled as he shaved.

Hello, oldschooltools:

What a delightful story. Thanks for telling it the way you have. You must be a great storyteller.

Note: Gentlemen, forgive me for hijacking the thread momentarily, but I could not resist that story.

Regards,
Obie

Oldschool......that was one of the best stories of shaving gone by that I've read since coming to this site. It makes me want to shave,and......I may even whistle whilst doing so. Very cool Guess I should apologize also for hijacking,but...it was a good story.