SHAVING

MADE EASY
What

the

Man Who

Shaves

Ought

to

Know

ILLUSTRATED

PUBLISHED BY

THE

20th CENTURY
CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL
NEW YORK

THIS BOOK
IS

DEDICATED TO THOSE

MEN WHO HAVE

DIFFICULTIES IN

SHAVING, IN HOPE THAT ITS CONTENTS

WII.L BE OF ASSISTANCE IN

REMEDY-

ING THEIR TROUBLES.

PREFACE.

THE

object of this

little

book

is

to

furnish clear and full information about

the art of shaving.

who do

There are few men

not experience

ficulty in

more or

less dif-

shaving themselves, and

many

who, after a few unsuccessful attempts,

give it up in dispair and go to the barber
shop.
We believe most of these would

much

prefer to shave themselves

if

only

they could do as well as a barber.

The advantages,
wholly with the
In the

self.

done

in the

indeed,

man who

first

privacy

seem

to

place the shaving

if

his

be

shaves himis

own room. He

own razor, cup, soap, brush and

which can be kept scrupulously
clean and sanitarv. thus avoidinsf the

has his
towels,

PREFACE.

There

constant danger of infection.

no long wait for the

the

Thus
the

cost of the outfit there

first

ing- to

call of "next.''

is

After

is

noth-

pay, either for services or "tips."

money and

in point of time,

man who

shaves himself

is

health,,

a decided

gainer.

There are few things in life that are

perform when one thoroughly knows how to do them. Shaving
really difficult to

is

no exception.

The

be easily acquired

art of

if

shaving can

one only has the

and the necessary practical inforThis book, which, as far as we

are aware, is the only one treating the
subject at all completely, endeavors to
will,

mation.

supply such information

improvement

of

men

as well for the

accustomed

to

shave themselves, as for the instruction

of beginners.

who

will

We

believe that any

instructions here given, will, with

little

some

practice, soon be able to shave him-

self easily
1

man

carefully read and follow the

er cnn

do

and even better than the barit

fin*

him.

CONTENTS.
I.

II.

The Shaving
The Razor

Outfit

IIL

Care of the Razor

19

IV.

21

VII.

The Safety Razor

The Hone
How to Use the Hone
The Strop

VIII.

How

to Strop the Razor

41

IX.

Brush
Soap

45
48
5o

XII.

The
The
The
The

Lather

53

XIII.

Instructions to Beginners

XIV.

The Right

XV.

Care of the Face After

V.
VI.

X.
XI.

29
37

Cup

Way

to

Shave

Shaving

XVI.

23

Irritation of the Skin

Cause and Prevention

56
61

74
Its

78

Shaving
What

Made

Easy

Man Who Shaves

Ought to Know
the

I.

THE SHAVING OUTFIT.

First-class tools are necessary at the

very outset.

may handle

No

matter

how

skillfully

one

inferior tools, they will in-

variably produce poor results..

Probably as many failures have refrom the use of poor razors,

strops, or soap as from the lack of knowl-

sulted

edge how to use them. In order that

the best possible results may be attained,

MADE

SPIAVING

10

good tools and skill

go hand in hand.

The shaving
one

or

in

outfit

two good

EASY.

using

flicni sliould

should consist of

razors,

first-class

strop, a mirror, a cup, a brush, a cake

of shaving soap, and a bottle of either

nnn.

witch

good face

lotion.

bay

some other
These constitute what

hazel,

or

may

be considered the necessary articles,

and

to these

mav

others, such as a

talcum
pencils,

be added a number of
good hone, magnesia or

powder,
antiseptic

astringent
lotions,

or

styptic

etc.

wdiich.

while not absolutely requisite, will never-

add much to the convenience,,

comfort and luxury of the shave.

theless

11.

THE RAZOR.
The most important
ing outfit

is

course the razor, and

of

AN IDEAL
Upon
in

its

article of the shav-

RAZOR.

selection your success or failure

will

self-shaving

Never purchase
pens to be cheap

depend.

largely

a razor because
;

poor razor

is

it

hap-

dear at

SII.WINC

12

any
l)ut

MADK EASY.

You want

price.

not the cheapest,

the best.

good razor if rightly used, will last

and will be a source of contin-

for years,

ual pleasure

when

used, whereas a poor

razor will do inferior work, irritate the

skin and

make

the face sore,

and be

continual source of trouble and annoyance.

If

you have such a

sooner you throw

tute a

The

good one, the

the

substi-

better.

principal point to be considered in

selecting a
steel.

razor,

and

aside

it

By

razor

is

"quality^'

the quality of the

is

meant

or degree of solidity, and

its

its

temper

conseq^ient

capability of receiving, even after a series

of years,

and

a firm

fine

This

edge.

undoubtedly the first point to which

the purchaser should give attention. By
is

what means though, can he judge of the

temper of a razor without using it ? The
unassisted

eye

is

not

sufficient.

power extends no further than

to

Its

the

discovery of defects the most striking

and injurious.

The

irregularities

in

SHAVING MADE EASY.

I3

razor's edge, which arise from improper

tempering and lack of skill in working,

minute,

that

they

may

remain undistinguished

until

the

razor

are

is

usually

so

They

used.

will nevertheless

very sen-

add to the friction the razor produces on the skin and particularly if it
happens to be thin and tender. There
are two ways of judging of the temper
sibly

of a razor; one of these

fallible

the
viz

blade and

its

is

practically in-

examination

of

the

edge by means of a mi-

croscope.
It will

be readily admitted that the real

excellence of a razor
tion to the firmness

is

in direct propor-

and unbroken regu-

When

larity of its edge.

a razor

is

too

consequence of having been

either to much heated in the process of
hardening, or not sufficiently cooled in
brittle,

in

that of tempering,

it

cannot possibly take

good cutting edge, no matter how

much skill may be employed in honing
and stropping it.
Such defects are
a

quickly detected by the use of a micro-

SHAVING MADE EASY.

14

scope in the hands of an experienced

and attentive observer.
The other method of testing the

temper, while not infalUble, will nevertheless be of assistance even to the

inexperienced.

thumb

the point of the blade under the

nail,

and then

quickly.

the

nail

If the blade gives a

you may conclude that

ring,

tempered, but
clear

letting

is

it

if it

most

catching

of

consists

It

off

slip

good

clear

is

well

full

and

it

does not ring

an indication that the blade

is

tempered unevenly.

The Concave
The

thinnest edge

est.

is

Blade.

always the sharp-

blade ought therefore to be as

thin as the strength of the metal

posing
are

it

will permit.

now made

cave"

Nearly

all

comrazors

"hollow-ground'^ or **con-

a great

improvement over the

The

old stvle of thick blade.

edo-e of

the hollow-ground razor

is

thinner and

therefore cuts better, and

is

much

to

easier

keep sharp.

Almost anv desired make of razor mav

SHAVING MADE EASY.

1^

be had in either half, three-quarters, or

The full concave blade is
full concave.
In view of the

of course the thinnest.

fact that the thinner the edge the sharper

the instrument, mO'St purchasers of a
razor ciuite naturally conclude that the
full

concave blade

pression

is

is

Our

the best.

that this

is

the full concave blade

im-

mistake; that

not so good for

is

shaving most beards as the three-quarIn a very deeply hollow

ters concave.

ground

razor,

the blade

is

ground ex-

tremely thin, back to a line some disWhen such an

tance from the edge.

edge
in

almost

the blade
it

thin

as

contact with a

is

is

stiff

paper

comes

beard, unless the

flat upon the face,

bend and spring, and

held very

quite likely to

a cut will

as

be the

Width
The width

result.

of the Blade.

of

the

blade

is

another

point that should receive attention.

a rule

we

As

believe the beginner selects too

wide a blade.
one, in the size

comparatively narrow

known

as the 4-8

is

the

l6

SHAVING MADE EASY.

Yd

V5

SHOWING DIFFERENT WIDTHS OF

BLADES.

S H A \' 1

bes*^

NG

\ 1) !:

most purposes,

for

\i

ASN

as

17

it

does not

spring on the face so readily as the wide

blade, yet

it

follows the contours of the

more closely, and in general is managed more easily.

Point of the Blade.
The point of the razor ought to l^e
sliehtlv rounded as shown in the illusface

A.

THE ROUND POINTED

BLADE.

B
B.

tration.

THE SHARP POINTED

While

matter, yet a

this

is

BLADE.

seemingly a small

sharp point has probably

occasioned more cuts than almost any

SHAVlXr.

Ih

Other cause.

If

MADI-:

you have

KASV.

a razor with a

sharp point, you can round

edge of the hone.

You

it

on the

off,

should not use

the top surface of the hone for this purpose, for

to

if

you do you are quite Hkely

scratch the hone and spoil

it.

Use

water freely otherwise the blade

will be-

come heated and

quickly

spoil its temper.

that

would

III.

CARE OF THE RAZOR.

Take good care

of your razor.

Many

a fine razor has been spoiled by carelessness

user.

and neglect on the part of the

life of a razor will depend

The

on the care given it. Never put

it has first been wiped thoroughly dry, using a piece of chamois
entirely
it

away

until

skin for this purpose.

remove

all

the

Even

moisture,

this will not

so the blade

should be drawn across the strop a few

times, or else left exposed to the air for

a few

moments

of moisture not

have evaporated.

until the little particles

removed by the cloth

Then you may replace

MADE

Sll.WlNG

20

EASY.

the razor in

its

case with the expectation

of finding

in

good condition when you

next use

it

it.

Rusting must be prevented, especially

upon the edge, which seems to rust more
quickly than any other part of the blade.

tiny rust spot

on

this delicate line,

by

causing the metal to soften and crumble

soon end the useful-

at that point, will

ness

of

the

razor,

ground back past the

a case there

is

unless

edge

the

always the

is

In such

rust spot.

liability

of not

getting a good edge.

wiping the

In

never

use

lather

glazed

or

ofif

the

coarse

blade
paper.

^lany overlook
drawing the blade
straight across a glazed or hard finished
paper, turn the edge, and then wonder
Tissue paper

is

this

point

and

wdiy

the

razor

Draw

the best.

by

has

lost

its

keenness.

the blade over the paper obliquely,

away from the edge, in the same

when stropping it.

tion as

direc-

IV.

THE SAFETY RAZOR.

Of

years

recent

safety

number

great

have been

razors

of

and
placed on the market, the manufacturers
invented

of each claiming that theirs are superior

and that they have

produced a razor that is destined
to all others

at

last

to rev-

olutionize shaving.

One
razors

general

one he

is

this

all

is

may

thing
in

said
if

of

safety

man

uses

less likely to cut himself, but

that

in their favor.

possible

be

that

to

can reasonably be said

Of

shave

course,

with

razor without cutting one's

if it

the
self,

were

im-,

ordinary
then the

SHAVING MADE EASY.

22

safety razor

The

truth

is,

would become a necessity.

however, that anyone who

has a good keen smooth-cutting razor,

lathers the face thoroughly,

if

he does not already

handle
almost

the

razor

no danger.

and

know

properly,

Such

will learn

how

to

will

run

man

will

seldom cut himself.

On

the other hand, most of the safety

razors are difficult to keep clean and dry,

and therefore free from rust; and owing

to the difficulty of stropping them,

almost,

if

it

is

not quite impossible to keep

them sharp.

It is also difficult to

the correct stroke with them.

make

Probably

hundred thousand safety razors have

in the United States within the
past few years and it is extremely doubtful if ten per cent, of them are now in
a

been sold

use.

V.

THE HONE.
The edge

of

razor,

whtn viewed

under a powerful microscope, presents

an appearance very different from that
seen by the unaided eye.

Unmagnified,

the edge appears to be a continuous un-

Such actually

broken Hue.
case, for the
that,

is

not the

microscope reveals the fact

instead of being straight and

broken, the edge

is

in reality

of a great number
much resembling the

These

points

or

of

un-

composed

minute points

teeth of a saw.
teeth

follow

each

other throughout the entire length of the

blade,

and bv

their

extreme minuteness

SHAVING MADE EASY.

;4

1:1 )(;]:

()1~

THE RAZCJR AS IT APPEARS UNDER

THE MICROSCOPE.

and unbroken regularity give the edge

its
exceeding keenness.
Now if the
razor becomes dull, these teeth will be
less

even and regular and their edges

will

be

rounded and worn away.

sharpen the razor, therefore,

essary

by

possible

to

making

is

To
nec-

the edge as thin as

restore these

their original condition.

done by stropping, but

only by [he prnct'ss

it

little

teeth to

This cannot be
is

known

accomplished
as honing.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

been asserted

has

It

when once
and

set,

by

the razor has

some,

2^
that

been ground

the strop alone without further

honing- or grinding
it

in

is sufficient to keep
This opinion has eminated

order.

from

makers

certain

who wish

chase their goods.

strops

as

of

Thev

having been

otherwise

razor-strops,

induce the pubhc to pur-

to

treated

with

represent their

"metahzed," or

some kind of

preparation that makes honing unnecessary.

As

rule,

we would

advise the

reader to beware of these "wonder-work-

Such preparations may, and

sometimes do, improve the strop, just as
ing-strops."

lather

prove

when
it,

this, w^e

applied to a strop will. im-

but that they will do more than

deny.

When

the special offices

of the hone

and of the strop are fully

understood, it will at once become apparent that no strop can possibly take
the place of a hone.

The object of honing a razor is to

make its edge as tliiii and flat as a proper
attention to the degree of firmness re-

SHAVING MADE EASY.

26
quired

This

permit.

will

is

accom-

plished by the hard fine grit of the hone

and

cutting

The

away

wearing

strop cannot do this.

the

On

steel.

the con-

trary, stropping a razor, instead of giv-

ing

it

a thin

and

fiat

edge, always has a

tendency to produce a rounded one. This

from the very nature of the strop,

which always ''gives*' or sags more or
less during the process of stropping, and
results

the

more

the strop

is

permitted to

sag,,

the sooner will such an edge be produced,

and

in proportion as the edge assumes

rounded form, it losses its keenness.
The flattest and thinnest edge is always
the sharpest, and the only way to impart
such an edge to a razor is by means of

this

the hone.

Before explaining the process of hon-

may

be well to say a word about

ing,

it

the

different

kinds

of

hones,

so

that

should the reader wish to purchase one,

he

in

may do it intelligently.
There are two distinct classes of hones
general use,

one

known

as the rock

SHAVING MADE EASY.

hone, on account of

2J

being cut from

its

and the other manuA great number of hones are

factured.
produced in different parts of the United
States, but few that are really suitable for
sharpening razors. A razor hone must

the natural

rock,

THE HONE.
be of the very
ral

finest quality.

stones are usually

pally of silica,

which

is

The

composed

natu-

princi-

one of the sharp-

It easily
known.
cuts the hardest steel and the fine grit
imparts a very smooth edge to a razor.
The "Arkansas," found near the famous

est

Hot

cutting minerals

Springs,

owing

is

one of

this variety, but

to the difficulty of obtaining this

and the great waste in cutting it,

the supply is limited and the price high.
Most of the razor hones used in the

stone,

2%

SHAVING MADE EASY.

United States are imported.

The most

noted are the German water hones, the

oil hones from Belgium, and the Swaty

The

hones from Austria.

very reasonable
orite

among

in price

They

barbers.

named

last

are

and quite a favare a

manu-

factured hone, and in some respects the

manufactured hones are superior

to the

natural stones, in that they are free from

scams and uneven spots and perfectly

uniform in texture.
^lost

men have

the idea that honing

and should be undertaken only by expert cutlers or bar-

is

a dit^cult operation

bers.

Very few seem

own

can hone there

to think that they

impression became current,

to

say.

ever, that

\\'e

venture

honing

easy as stropping

many

others,

the

su'^posinq- there

is

to

a razor
it.

is

it

assert,
is

this

difficult

how-

at least as

In this case as in

difficulty
a

How

razors.

arises

difficulty.

from

How

to

Use

the

H one

HOW

TO USE THE HONE.

The hone being

the

means of

only

sharpening a dull razor, its use becomes

at once of the utmost importance to those

who wish

to keep their razors in perfect

order.

Hones

are seldom used dry, but are

usually covered with either water, lather

or

oil

first

to prevent heating the blade

which would quickly spoil its temper;

second to keep the particles of steel
that are ground off the blade from enter-

ing the pores of the stone, which would

soon

fill

up and

result in

what

as a glazed surface; and third

is

known
make

to

SIIAVINC;

tlie

MADE

EASY.

surface of the hone as smooth as pos-

sible.

Before

commencing

operation,

tlie

wipe the hone clean, then put on a few

drops of oil or else cover it with water
or lather.
This will float the little

ground off the razor,

them from remaining
directly on the hone to impede its full
and equal effect. With most hones you

particles of

thus

may

steel

preventing

use either water, lather or

oil

but

do not change from one to the other;

whichever you begin with, use that exclusively.

It

requies a longer time

produce a keen edge when

but the edge is somewhat

Most barbers use

oil

is

to

used

smoother.

and we should
do so.

lather

advise the beginner to

Directions for Honing.

The hone, with

its

fine

should be placed perfectly

or other solid foundation.

surface

is

surface

flat

up,

on a table

(The rough

intended merely as a support

and not for use.)

x\fter covering

the

32

SHAVING MADE EASY.

HOW

TO

HONE THE

R.\ZOR.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

33

hone with lather, place the razor flat

upon it as shown in Fig. A. With the
thumb and fore finger, grasp the razor
back of the, heel, so as to have firm hold
of both the blade and the handle. Draw
the blade from heel to point, forward
against the edge, and with a moderate
degree of pressure, until
the

position

shown

in

comes

it

Fig.

B.

into

Now,

without lifting the blade from the stone,

turn the edge up, so that the razor rests

on the back of the blade. Slide it forward on its back from point to heel
and let it fall into the position indicated
Push the blade from heel to
in Fig. C.
point

against

stroke as in

on

its

Fig.

finishing

edge,

D.

Turn

the

the blade

back, slide from point to heel and

let it fall

in

the

into the first position, as

Fig. A.

shown

Continue honino^ until the

sufiiciently keen and free from

and inequalities. This may be
known by drawing the edge, very lightly,

blade

is

nicks

across the moistened

thumb

sticks to the nail sliehtlv,

it

nail.
is

If

it

an indica-

SHAVING MADE EASY.

34
tion

honing has developed the

which constitute the perfect

that the

little

teeth

razor edge, and that the razor

is

now

ready for stropping.

If

the

honing be carried too

far,

"wire edge" will be produced, and this

must be removed. To do this, draw the

edge with a steady hand across the
moistened thumb
dicated above.

be

nail in the manner inThe blade should then

drawn once or twice across

as before, in order to unite

all

the hone
parts of

the edge and cause a perfect equality of

keenness from one end of the blade to

the other.
is

in

With

this

done, the operation

general performed, and the won-

drous dit^culty of honing the razor vanishes.

Special Directions.

The following

directions

should

be

specially observed.

First

The

fectly Hat

blade should be held per-

on the hone, so that the back,

as well as the edge, touches the stone.

If the

back

is

raised

from the stone so

SHAVING MADE EASY.

35

that only the edge touches, the bevel will

be short and the edge blunt.

Second In drawing the blade across

the hone diagonally against the edge,
the heel should be about one and a half
inches in advance of the point, and care
should be taken to maintain the same
angle when the stroke is reversed and
This
throughout the entire operation.
proper angle, that

sets the teeth at the

toward the heel. We

have likened the edge of a razor to that
is,

slightly inclined

of a saw, but there

is

this

difference:

saw teeth incline away from the handle

and toward the point, while the razor
teeth incline away from the point and
This is correct in
toward the heel.
principle, for the saw in use is pushed
away from the handle toward the point,
while the razor is usually drawn away
from the point toward the heel.
Third

Press

with equal force on

parts of the edge.

verv

little

With

all

good hone,

pressure will be required.

The time

required

to

hone a razor

SII.WIXG MADF. EASY.

36

depends nirch on the condition of the

razor and the hardness of the steel composing-

When

it.

the edge

that

is

the razor strop

when

is

in the usual

free from
and has merely hecome thick in
consequence of the injudicious use of

condition

it

is

nicks

honing

eight

will

it

or

ten

need very
strokes

direction will be quite sufficient.

however, the edge has nicks

in

little

each

When,

though so

small as to be scarcely perceptible, the

operation will require more time and

Should the nicks be

tention.
will

large,

atit

send the razor to a

be better to

cutler to be ground.
If the razor

than once
it

aware of
will not

it

honing,

frequent

When

well cared for and pro-

is

perly stropped,

in
is

it.

will not

probably

from

six to

required

from the

sharpen

it.

you

require very

not

oftener

eight weeks.
will

become

fact that stropping-

VII.

THE STROP.
object of honing the razor, as has

The

been explained, is to abraid and wear

away the edge of the blade so that it

becomes

as thin as possible.

is

the

razor

edge,

But when

done, the process of sharpening

this

is

still

incomplete,

when taken from

rorgh and

unfit to put

other process

is

for

the hone,

on the

face.

is

the
left

An-

necessary, and that

The object
make the blade

is

stropping.

of stropping

not to

thinner, but to

is

smooth the edge, taking ofif the rough

little teeth which have been
setting them all in perfect
and
developed,

surface of the

SHAVING MADE EASY.

38

This gives the razor

alignment.

its

ex-

ceeding keenness.

Yen
It

may
it

in

should

have a

be

your strop

if

good condition

quality

or

razor

fault

the

is

strop.

razor

a poor one, for

absolutely impossible to keep a razor

is

first-class

how good yonr

matters

little

lie

the strop is of poor

and haggled.
Many
has been blamed when the
entirely with the strop and
if

ro-.-gh

manner

of using

So

it.

called sharp-

ening preparations, sometimes applied to

the

surface

of

strops,

as

substiti'te

for the hone, should be avoided.

of
is

]\Iost

them contain acid or emery, which

gradually spoil th.e temper of

likelv to

the razor.

There

are

many

kinds

of

strops

manufact^-red and placed on the market,

some good and some bad. The most

swing strop, made of
is the

common

leather or hor.^e hide on

one side and

canvas or hose on the other.

Some

of

the cheaper grades have a very coarse

amz'as, and unless vou wish to ruin vonr

SHAVING MADE EASY.

39

you should never put it on such a

In our opinion a good leather or
horse hide strop is the best, and meets
razor,

strop.

every requirement; but

strop

shorld be of the

The

a combination
side

quahty.

finest

should

strop

if

hnen or hose

the

used,

is

not

be

than

less

twenty inches long and two inches wide.

should

surface

Its

be

very

and

soft

tell
smooth not glazed and you
whether it is so, by rubbing the hand over

Do

it.

can

not fold the strop

when

putting

away, for if you do you are likely to

crack or roughen the surface, and this
it

will
it

is

injure the edge of the blade

drawn across

when

it.

Care of the Strop.

After the

strop

great deal of use,

found that
razor
slip

over

and thus
cutting

it

been

will

put

is

with

edge.

on the

will allow the blade to

it

fail to

to

sometimes be

will not "take hold"

it

that

has
it

little

or no resistance

impart a keen, smooth-

The reason

is

that

the

40

SHAVING MADE EASY.

Strop has

become dry and porous. Do not

attempt to remedy the matter by applying oil or razor paste these will only
;

make matters worse.

Hang

on a hook, and with the

left

as

tightly

as

thick lather to

with the palm

sometimes
rrb

tlie

the

strop

hand stretch
possible.
Apply a good
the surface and rub it in
of

the

lather in with a

Barbers

hand.

nail the strop to a

board and

smooth

bottle;

but the hand will do quite as well, and

indeed,

we

think

strop requires

is

with the lather

it

preferable.

What

the

have the pores filled

so put on and work in
to

coat after coat, until the leather will take

up no more. Thai leave the strop

This

simple

treatment

will

to dry.

completely

change the action of the strop, and the

next time you use it, you will be surprised and delighted to note its improved
effect on the razor.
It will have that
"cling" and ^'resistance'' which barbers
so much desire in a strop, and which, indeed,

is

quite essential to

its

efficiency.

VIII.

HOW

TO STROP THE RAZOR.

window

Place a hook in a door or a

casing about four or

floor.

five

from the

feet

Put the ring of the strop over

and hold the handle firmly in
hand as shown in the accompany-

the hook,

the
ing

left

illustration.

pulled tight

The

strop

not allowed

otherwise

to

should be

hang

loosely

the edge of the razor will

become rounded and require frequent

honing.

Open
in line

the razor, so that the handle

with the blade.

Grasp

it

is

firmly

first two fingers

and thumb holding the razor just back
of the heel, so that perfect control is had

with the right hand, the

SH.WIXC.

42
of

both

the

blade

MADl-:

KASV.

With

and handle.

the razor held in this

manner

it

is

an

easy matter to turn the razor back and

forth

from one

TTDW

TO

side to the other.

STROP

TTTF.

RAZOR.

SHAVING MADE EASV

Lay

the blade

on the furth?r end

flat

shown

of the strop, as

43

in Fig. E,

with the

edge away from you. Draw the blade

toward yon, always keeping the heel of

When

the razor in advance of the point.

at the end of the strop, rotate the razor

on

its

back

the nnstroped side of the

till

blade comes in contact with the strop.

as

shown

Then, with the heel

in Fig. F.

advance, push the razor away from

in

yon, until
the

strop.

reaches the further end of

it

Again

and continue

rotate,

the stropping until the razor

Always hold the blade

angle,

You

and perfectly

flat

is

on the

will observe that the stroke

opposite to that used in honing.

ing, the

edge

the back.

is

in

advance

sharp.

is

strop.

exactly

In hon-

in stropping,

During the operation

tJic

of the razor should never he taken

the strop.

By

observing

turning the blade on

on the edge, you

its

same

the

at

this,

hack

from

and always

back, instead of

will avoid cutting the

strop.

Beginners should not attempt to

make

SHAVING MADE EASY.

44

a quick stroke.

Let the stroke be slow

speed gradually

and

even,

until

a complete mastery of the

ment

is

developing

move-

acquired.

If the razor

is

in

good condition and

not in need of honing, fifteen or twenty

strokes
citnt.

quire

in
If,

each direction will be

suffi-

however, the razor should

re-

honing, no amount of stropping

will put a

keen edge on

it.

It will us-

ually be necessary to strop the razor each

time you

shave,

and with

more than once may be

stiff

requires!

beards

IX.

THE BRUSH.
Purchase a good brush.

The cheap

ones are usually the most expensive

in

the end, and nearly always prove unsatls-

SECTIONAL VIEW OF THE BRUSH SHOWING

INTERNAL CONSTRUCTION.
factory.

It

shold be remembered that

the vital part of a brush

is

in the

sdfing,

and particular attention should therefore

SHAVING MADE EASY.

4fi

be paid to that part of

are

commonly

set

it.

Cheap brushes

with gUie, rosin or

cement, which soon cracks and becomes

unadhesive
out.

We

whereupon tlie bristles fall

recommend a brush made of
;

badger hair and set in hard

rubber.
A brush so con-

bristles or

vulcanized

THE BRUSH.

structed,

with

wood,

bone

or

ivory

handle, and hard rubber ferule, will not

shed the

bristles or

proper care will

Do
brush,

crack open, and with

last for years.

not leave the lather to dry in the

but

after

thoroughly and

shaving rinse

it

out

dry the brush with a

SHAVING MADE EASY.

towel, before putting away.
briTsh

4/

The cup and

should be kept clean and away

from dust. Once a week they should be

washed with hot water.

X.

THE

CUP.

The shaving cup should be of earthen

ware or china, and large enough to accommodate the ordinary round cake of

Some cups

shaving soap.

are

made with

two compartments, one for soap and the

other for water, but this arrangement is
unnecessary, and in fact, not so convenient as the ordinary cup, for

too

little

If

room

possible,

entirely

fill

no space
the

sides

it

leaves

the lather.

the cake of soap should

the bottom of the crp so that

is
;

for

making

left

between the soap and

otherwise water will get in

and keep the bottom of the cake con-

SHAVING MADE EASY.

tinually soaked.

If

cake does not quite

warm

soap out and

somewhat

is

it

fill

found that the

the space, take the

it

until

then put

soft,

49

becomes

it

back

it

cup, and with the hand press

in the

down

the

sides all around, thus flattening out the

cake until

it

quite

the

fills

intervening

any time the soap should

cleave away from the sides of the cup,
it
should be pressed back as at first.
This will be found the most convenient
space.

way

If at

of using the soap.

Great care should be taken to keep

the cup scrupulously clean, rinsing it out
thoroughly each time after shaving, in
order to remove any lather that may

have been

left

away from

dust.

Some

Keep

unused.

use the sticks of shaving soap

and make the lather on the

this

way
put

is
is
it

permissable,
to

the cup

make

we

face.

While

think the better

the lather in the cup and

on with the brush.

XI.

THE
Next

to the razor, the

article of the

In

its

SOAP.

shaving

most important

outfit is tlie soap.

proper use Hes the real secret of

easy shaving.

The

razor

may

good, but unless the beard

be ever so

is

properly

lathered with a good soap, shaving will

Use only a
regular recognized standard make of

be anything but a pleasure.

shaving soap, not, under any circumstances, a toilet soap.

The

intended for shaving, and

duce

irritations

the face

of the

rough and

wrong

is

latter

is

not

likely to pro-

skin

and leave

sore.

idea prevails regarding the

SHAVING MADE EASY.

use of the soap.
is

that the soap

The popular impression

is

used for the purpose

of softening the beard,

tion

is

it

This

is

which condi-

in

supposed to be moist easily cut.

The soap is used,
a mistake.

not to soften the beard, but to produce

exactly the opposite

make

they will

effect

and

the hair stiff

present a

tc

so that

and resisting

firm

surface to the razor.

namely,

brittle,

hair, as is well

composed of a hard
fibrous substance, growing from a bulb
or root, which secretes an oily matter.
This oil works its way up through the
hair, and by permeating all parts, renders the hair soft and pliable.
Now in
known,

is

a tube

this natural oily condition,

ficult to

becomes even more

be

made

still

When

is

very dif-

they

this

is

difficult if the

it

beard

softer by the application of

Many

hot water.

wonder

it

cut the hair with a razor, and

do

find

this,

and

shaving

done, the hairs

and limp, and the razor

over them entirely, or

it

is

no

difficult.

become

soft

will either slip

else

cut

partly

SHAVING MADE EASY.

52

bend them back and sHce them

all
the while pulling and
straining them at the roots, and making
the process of shaving most painful.

into them,

lengthwise,

Now

soap has the opposite

effect.

It

con-

which
the form of

tains either alkali, potash or soda,

when

applied to the beard in

lather,

unites with the

oil

of the

hair,,

and removing it, and renders the hairs hard stiff and brittle in
which condition they may be easily and
readily cut. For the sake of cleanliness,
the face should, of course, be washed
previous to shaving in order to remove
any dirt or grit from the beard, which
might dull the razor but before applying
neutralizing

it

the lather, the face should be well dried

with a towel.

XII.

THE LATHER.
To make
is

the lather, see that the soap

placed in the cup according to previous

Fill the

directions.

lowing

it

cup with water,

then pour the water out.

cient water to

make

to the cup, soap

the brush,

bined

Usually

and brush.

Now

mix thoroughly, using

with

com-

and churning motion,

good thick lather appears. The

the brush

is

rubbed over the soap

the thicker the lather becomes.

deal depends
right.

suffi-

the lather will adhere

stirring

until a

more

al-

stand for a few seconds,

to

If

it

great

upon having the lather

is thin and watery, you

just
will

SHAVING MADE EASY.

54

have poor success

creamy
of

the

Some

is,

it

alkali

of

in shaving.

The more

the better will be the effect

the

stiffening

in

beard.

the

poorer qualities of soap

produce lather very quickly, sometimes

half filling the cup, but

it

found

will be

thin and without lasting qualities, so that

by the time one side of the face has been

shaved, the lather

other.

creamy

is

good soap

all

will

gone from the

produce a thick

lather that will last throughout

the entire process of shaving.

Applying the Lather.

Put

the

on

lather

with

the

brush,

covering every part of the face that you

Then with

intend to shave.

rub

it

lather has

had

the hairs.

Next

sufficient time to stiffen

to

having the razor

perfect condition, this

in

the most im-

is

portant thing to do; for

to

the fingers

thoroughly into the beard until the

it

is

impossible

shave easily unless the face

is

well

lathered and the lather thoroughly work-

ed into the beard.

more

Go

over the face once

with the brush, in order to spread

SHAVING MADE EASY.

55

the lather evenly, and then begin shaving

at

once,

before the lather has time to

Should it dry while you are shaving, wet the brush slightly and apply
If you prepare your face
fresh lather.

dry.

in accordance with these instructions, a

keen razor will slip over the face so
easily that shaving will become a real

pleasure.

XIII.

INSTRUCTIONS TO BEGINNERS.
If

you are a young man, just beginit is important that you

ning to shave,

commence

right.

It is quite as

learn

the

right

way.

Do

not

it

is

the

as

entertain

the

easy to

wrong

idea

that

a difficult matter for one to shave

himself

about

way

for

it

there

is

nothing

when you know how.

difficult

You may

have previously tried and failed, but if

you will now follow the instructions contained in this book, there

why shaving may

out further

is

no reason

not be performed with-

difficulties.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

THE RIGHT WAY TO HOLD THE

The accompanying-

illustrji'

57

RAZOR.

..n

shows

the position in which the razor should

be held.
It will be observed that the

handle

The

is

first

thrown well back past the heel.

three fingers rest on the back

of the blade, with the

little

finger over

the crook at the end, ar.d the

thumb on

the side of the blade, near the middle.

In

this position,

with the handle acting as

SHAVING MADE EASY.

58

a balance, the razor will be under per-

and there

fect control,

will be little dan-

ger of cutting oneself.

This position can

be maintained throughout most of the

process of shaving, although

mcessary

dhange

to

shaving certain parts,

it

may be
while

slightly

it

for

as

the neck, under the jaw.

instance

But whatever

the position, endeavor to have the razor

at all times

position

under perfect control.

here indicated,

the

is

one

The
we

should certainly advise the beginner

to-

man, from long continued

use has formed the habit of holding the
razor in a different way, any change
will prove difficult and may not be advis-

adopt, but

if

able.

The

Stroke.

Owing no doubt

largely to individual

temperament, there
ation in the

with

different

short

considerable vari-

of using the razor,

person^s.

long slow stroke

it

is

manner

best,

and quick.

suit the stroke to his

Some

find

while others

make

Each man must

own

convenience.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

59

But certain principles are applicable to

In the first place you should

everybody.

begin with a slow even stroke, gradually increasing

trol

it

as

of the razor.

you gain better conSpeed will develop

naturally with practice.

Hold

Do

the razor quite flat

not

pull

the

razor

upon the
directly

against the beard, but hold

to the direction of

face.

down

it

obliquely

movement.

In gen-

eral shave in the direction of the

of the beard, like this

growth

^^^y^^^y

Shaving against the growth pulls the

and thus irritates the skin, and if
the beard is heavy and wiry the edge of
hairs

the blade
hairs

is

quite liable to catch in the

and be deflected inward and cut

the face.

Position of the Mirror.

The mirror should hang between two
windows if possible, so that when you
look into

it

the light will

fall

directly up-

SHAVING MADE EASY.

6o

on both sides of your face. You will then

be able to get a good reflection of either
side.

Remove

soiling- the shirt,

neck

in

pinning

the collar.

To

prevent

place a towel around the

an easy, comfortable manner,

it

at the side.

XIV.

The R^ght

Way

to

Shave

TO SHAVE THE RIGHT SIDE OF

THE FACE.

TO SHAVE THE RIGHT SIDE OF

THE FACE.
Reach over the head with the left
hand and with the fingers draw the
skin upward, thus making a smooth shaving surface. The ilhistration shows the
proper position. Shave downward until
about half of the right cheek
then slide the

left

the fingers

until

hand
rest

still

in

is

shaved,

further over

the middle of

the cheek and again pull the skin up-

Now

ward.

ward
face

until
is

continue

to

shave down-

the entire right side of the

shaved clean, as far as the mid-

dle of the chin

and well under the jaw.

TO SHAVE THE RIGHT SIDE OF

THE FACE UNDER THE JAW.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

65

TO SHAVE THE RIGHT SIDE OF

THE FACE UNDER THE JAW.
Hold

With
the

over toward the

the head

with

side

chin

the

slightly

the fingers of the left hand,

under the jaw.

skin tight

downward
direction

if

if

the beard

left

elevated.

grows

draw
Shave

in

not reverse the stroke.

that

You

should never shave against the growth

when going over

if

it

the face the first time,

can be avoided.

tightly

drawn

shaving surface
razor,

and there

ting yourself.

Keep

as possible,
is

is

the skin as
for a better

thus presented to theless liability of cut-

TO SHAVE THE LEB^T SIDE OF

THE FACE.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

67

TO SHAVE THE LEFT SIDE OF

THE FACE.
Place the fingers of the

left

hand

in

front of and just above the ear and press

upward

so as to

draw

the upper left cheek.

the

right

hand, toe

the skin smooth on

With

the razor in

pointing

reach across the face as

upward,

shown above,

and shave downward. In shaving the

lower part of the cheek and chin, follow

downward with

the left hand, keeping

the skin tightly drawn.

TO SHAVE THE LEFT SIDE OF

THE FACE UNDER THE JAW.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

69

TO SHAVE THE LEFT SIDE OF

THE FACE UNDER THE JAW.
For many,

this

is

the

most

difficult

part of the face to shave as the skin

is

very tender, and unless treated gently will

soon become irritated and sore. To shave
easily, raise the chin, incline the

ward

the right,

tight

as

head toand draw the skin as

possible

Shave downward

with

the

unless,

as

left

hand.

sometimes

grows in the opposite

which case you will, of

"happens, the beard

direction,

in

course, reverse the stroke.

To shave the upper lip, draw the

down as much as possible, to tighten
skin. Owing to the strong muscle in
lip,

you

will hardly

need to use the

"hand for this purpose.

lip

the
the
left

TO SHAVE UNDER THE CHIN.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

TO SHAVE UNDER THE CHIN.

Throw
the chin.

the head

Hold

backward and

elevate

the razor in the right

hand, and with the fingers of the left

You
hand draw the skin downward.

should always endeavor to keep the skin

drawn

as

smooth

as possible, for

doing vou will greatly lessen the

by so

liability

of cutting yourself and will be able to

shave

much more

easilv.

TO SHAVE UPWARD AGAINST THE

GROWTH OF THE BEARD.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

73

SHAVING OVER THE SECOND

TIME.
If you desire a really clean shave, you
must go over the face the second time.
Strop the razor a few times before beginning. Lather the face as before, though
it is

unnecessary to rub the lather

the fingers.

Simply put

it

in

with

on with the

brush.

In shaving over the face the second

some reverse the stroke. That is,

they shave upward against the growth of
the beard, instead of downward, as durtime,

ing the

first

time over.

This gives an

exceedingly close shave and

if

the beard

and heavy and the skin thin and

it may make the face sore, and
cause the hairs to grow inward, under the
Perhaps the best way will be to
skin.
is

stiff

tender,

shave lightly over the face the second

same direction as at first.

Each man should decide this point ac-

time, in the

cording to his

own

experience.

x\

CARE OF THE FACE AFTER

SHAVING.
]\Iost

men who

to think that

shave themselves seem

when they have removed

the beard, they have nothing further to

This

do.

dervalue

is

a great mistake.

the

importance

treatment of the face.

way
is

to

They un-

of a

proper

quick and easy

of caring for the face after shaving,

remove the

lather by a thorough

washing, then to apply either witch hazel,

bay rum or some other good face lotion,

and to follow this with a small quantity
of talcum powder, evenly applied.
is

probably about

man

all

will usuallv find

This

that the average

time to do.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

75

In order, however, to keep the skin in

a healthful condition, a
rate treatment should

We

given.

Wash

more

little

elabo-

occasionally

recommend

be

following:

the

the face thoroughly to free

it

from

the lather, and then apply a steaming hot

towel, as hot as can be borne.

The

heat

and moisture draw the blood to the face,

open the pores, and set up a healthful
action of the

Next apply witch

skin.

hazel, and finally give the face a thorough

massage. There is no other treatment so
beneficial to the skin.

With many

per-

sons the flow of blood to the face and

very sluggish, because of enfeebled or slow heart action and in con-

scalp

is

sequence, the

many

small arteries and ca-

pillaries become clogged.

lates the circulation,

from the inner centers

filling

the

Massage stimu-

and brings the blood

many minute

to

the surface,

capillaries

just

underneath the skin, thus producing a

tonic eflfect, which gives the skin renewed
vigor and health.

SHAVING MADE EASY.

y6

\\^HAT TO DO FOR A CUT.

man

If a
it

is

are

cuts himself while shaving,

usually due to certain causes that

easily

The

avoidable.

principal

causes are six in number:

shave with a
Attemptingsharp pointed razor.
Second losing
Third Shaving- with a razor that
to

First

dull razor.

is

ground so that the edge

springs and bends on the face.
Fourth Holding the razor improp-

too

hollow

erly.

Fifth
Shaving upward
growth of the beard.

Sixth
If

Shaving

you

in too

will avoid these

against

the

great a hurry.

mistakes and ex-

ercise proper care,

you will seldom cut

But when you do, it will be
well to know how to treat the wound. If
it be slight, the bleeding- may sometimes
be checked by using pressure. Covering

yourself.

the fingers with a towel, simply press the

cut together.

If this does not stop the

SHAVING MADE EASY.

flow, use an astringent.
cils,

made

The

77

styptis pen-

especially for this purpose, are

the best, and

may

be obtained at any store

W.PENC^

-v ^ wigMBijSg.ia^'

^^mx

y-<^^

'

s^x.

where barbers' supplies are kept. In case

you should not have the pencils, alum
may be used. In any event do not be discouraged, for such accidents sometimes

happen

to the best barbers.

XVI.

IRRITATION OF THE SKIN ITS

CAUSE AND PREVENTION.
men almost always

Sonic

burning and

To

shaving.

experience

irritation of the skin after

such,

we wish

to

some suggestions, which we hope

greatly benefit,

if

offer
will

not entirely prevent the

trouble.

is

The most common cause

of irritation

undoubtedly a dull razor.

If the razor

keen and sharp, the hairs will yield

readily to the blade and no irritation will
be produced.
But if the blade is dull,
is

instead

passes
wise,

of cutting the hairs

over some,

and

pulls

slices

easily,

other

and strains

it

length-

at the roots

SHAVING MADE EASY.

of

all.

79

This necessitates scraping the face

over and over again,

in

order to get a

clean shave, and the result

is

an irritayou are

tion that perhaps continues until

Thus

ready to shave again.

the tender

parts of the skin are kept in a state of

continual irritation.

The remedy

course, to see that the razor

is

is

of

always

keen and sharp.

Another cause that may be mentioned,

chafing of the neck by the collar. If
the edge of the collar is worn and rough,
and comes in contact with the tender
is

skin,

sure to

it is

Too

make

close shaving

is

it

sore.

a frequent cause,

and those who are troubled in this way

will do well to shave over the face but
once.

Some

of the cheap toilet waters are

and contain ingredients

which undoubtedly produce a bad effect
on the skin. In using bay rum or other
adulterated,

face lotions, use only the best.

trouble

the

use

is

of pure

If

much

we

should advise

distilled

witch hazel,

experienced,

SHAVING MADE EASY.

8o

which may be obtained

This

is

any drug

at

store.

soothing to the face and allays

the burning.

Sometimes the trouble

is

due

to

an

excess of alkali or potash in the soap.

The

best

shaving soaps are especially

prepared and have antiseptic and demulcent properties, which render

tically

non-irritating.

take care to remove

all

them prac-

After

shaving,

the soap from the

face; for during the process, the lather

has been worked into the pores of the

skin, and only by means of a thorough
washing can it all be removed.
resulting from
Irritations
constitu-

tional disease, or impurity of the blood,

should, of course, be treated by a physician.

Some men

are

more subject to irritaThose who

tion of the skin than others.

have a thin and tender skin and a heavy

and stiff beard, are especially liable, but
with care, even these may prevent most
of the trouble.