Thread: Article "On Shaving" from Simplicity of Health, 1829.

My Dad often told stories of his first job when he was 12 sweeping floors, washing windows and cleaning spittoons in a country barber shop in rural Indiana. I think he said he made something like 35 cents a day. Not much pay for work as nasty as spittoon upkeep. These days I doubt you could hire someone to do that for $35 a day.

Like most Dads subjected to misery as children, he was happy to have the work.

Just posted elsewhere and referenced this thread so I thought i should update here also.

I have been applying the hot water stropping technique and I have noticed an improved edge over stropping with cold steel. I heat my razor under hot water for a minute or so, dry it and take it to the strop. The razor feels smoother and less resistant when stropping it heated and I only need 20 laps or so as compared to the 35-40 I was doing with the blade cold.

I also have been trying the cold water shave because it is so hot here in Vegas and find the results to be generally a closer shave with less irritation. The razor doesn't seem to fly across my skin like with hot lather but I noticed lather lasts longer and skin doesn't need to be stretched quite as tight with cold.

Thanks Martin for these insightful articles! I have read, tested and applied several shaving concepts from these old magazines and my shaves have only improved.

Now I need to get my hands on an old candle and some calfskin!

Originally Posted by Frankenstein

Sounds good. Anyone up for making a silk strop?

I believe they were made out of a sow's ear back then!!

Very interesting post, Martin. History is always amazing and this article proves men of past generations had our very same concerns about shaving. History repeating!
And this makes me wonder where do you find all these historical and very interesting documents?

Originally Posted by crouton976

Weren't candles made with more tallow back then? Seems like if they were, they might lend something to the strop the way strop dressing or neatsfoot oil would.

Due to incomplete combustion carbon black contains some remaining tallow/stearine. So maybe it was thought to be useful as a leather conditioner.