,,shaving ,,made ,,easy        ,what the
 ,man ,who    ,shaves ,ought to ,know   
,,illustrated        ,,published ,,by   
,,the #bjth ,,century                   
,,correspondence ,,school    ,,new      
,,york            ,,copyright1 #aije    
,,by    ,,the #bj,,th ,,century         
,,correspondence ,,school               
,,this ,,book    ,,is ,,dedicated ,,to  
,,those    ,,men ,,who ,,have           
,,difficulties ,,in    ,,shaving1 ,,in  
,,hope ,,that ,,its ,,contents    ,,will
 ,,be ,,of ,,assistance ,,in ,,remedying
    ,,their ,,troubles4                 
,,preface4      ,the object of this     
little book is to furnish clear and full
 information  about the art of shaving4 
,there are few men who do not experience
 more or  less difficulty in shaving    
themselves1 and many who1 after a few   
unsuccessful attempts1 give it up in    
dispair and go to the barber shop4 ,we  
believe most of these would much prefer 
to shave themselves if only they  could 
do as well as a barber4    ,the         

advantages1 indeed1 seem to be wholly   
with the man who shaves himself4  ,in   
the first place the shaving is done in  
the privacy of his own room4 ,he  has   
his own razor1 cup1 soap1 brush and     
towels1 which can be kept  scrupulously 
clean and sanitary1 thus avoiding the   
constant danger of  infection4 ,there is
 no long wait for the call of next4     
,after the first  cost of the outfit    
there is nothing to pay1 either for     
services or tips4  ,thus in point of    
time1 money and health1 the man who     
shaves himself is a  decided gainer4    
,there are few things in life that are  
really difficult to perform when one    
thoroughly knows how to do them4        
,shaving is no exception4 ,the art of   
shaving can be easily acquired if one   
only has the will1 and the necessary    
practical information4 ,this book1      
which1 as far as we are aware1 is the   
only one treating the subject at all    
completely1 endeavors to supply such    
information2 as well for the improvement

 of men accustomed to shave  themselves1
 as for the instruction of beginners4   
,we believe that any man  who will      
carefully read and follow the           
instructions here given1 will1 with     
some little practice1 soon be able to   
shave himself easily and even better    
than the barber can do it for him4      
,,contents4           ,i4 ,the ,shaving 
,outfit                     #i          
,,ii4 ,the ,razor                       
#aa       ,,iii4 ,care of the ,razor    
#ai        ,,iv4 ,the ,safety ,razor    
#ba         ,v4 ,the ,hone              
#bc        ,,vi4 ,how to ,use the ,hone 
#bi       ,,vii4 ,the ,strop            
#cg      ,,viii4 ,how to ,strop the     
,razor                #da        ,,ix4  
,the ,brush                             
#de         ,x4 ,the ,cup               
#dh        ,,xi4 ,the ,soap             
#ej       ,,xii4 ,the ,lather           
#ec      ,,xiii4 ,instructions to       
,beginners             #ef       ,,xiv4 
,the ,right ,way to ,shave              

#fa        ,,xv4 ,care of the ,face     
,after ,shaving        #gd       ,,xvi4 
,irritation of the ,skin--,its ,cause   
and ,prevention                         
#gh          ,shaving ,made ,easy       
,what the ,man ,who ,shaves ,ought to   
,know          ,i4    ,,the ,,shaving   
,,outfit4      ,first-class tools are   
necessary at the very outset4 ,no matter
 how  skillfully one may handle inferior
 tools1 they will invariably produce    
poor results4    ,probably as many      
failures have resulted from the use of  
poor razors1  strops1 or soap as from   
the lack of knowledge how to use them4  
,in order  that the best possible       
results may be attained1 good tools and 
skill  in using them should go hand in  
hand4    ,the shaving outfit should     
consist of one or two good razors1 a    
first-class  strop1 a mirror1 a cup1 a  
brush1 a cake of shaving soap1 and a    
bottle of  either bay rum1 witch hazel1 
or some other good face lotion4 ,these  
constitute what may be considered the   

necessary articles1 and to these  may be
 added a number of others1 such as a    
good hone1 magnesia or talcum  powder1  
astringent or styptic pencils1          
antiseptic lotions1 etc4 which1  while  
not absolutely requisite1 will          
nevertheless add much to the            
convenience1 comfort and luxury of the  
shave4          ,,ii4    ,,the ,,razor4 
,the most important article of the      
shaving outfit is of course the razor1  
and upon its selection your success or  
failure in self-shaving will  largely   
depend4 ,never purchase a razor because 
it happens to be cheap2 a  poor razor is
 dear at any price4 ,you want not the   
cheapest1 but the best4                 
,illustration3 ,,an ,,ideal ,,razor4    
,a good razor if rightly used1 will last
 for years1 and will be a source  of    
continual pleasure when used1 whereas a 
poor razor will do inferior  work1      
irritate the skin and make the face     
sore1 and be a continual source  of     
trouble and annoyance4 ,if you have such

 a razor1 the sooner you throw  it aside
 and substitute a good one1 the better4 
,the principal point to be considered in
 selecting a razor is the quality  of   
the steel4 ,by quality is meant its     
temper or degree of solidity1  and its  
consequent capability of receiving1 even
 after a series of years1  a firm and   
fine edge4 ,this is undoubtedly the     
first point to which the  purchaser     
should give attention4 ,by what means   
though1 can he judge of the  temper of a
 razor without using it8 ,the unassisted
 eye is not sufficient4  ,its power     
extends no further than to the discovery
 of defects the most  striking and      
injurious4 ,the irregularities in a     
razor's edge1 which arise  from improper
 tempering and lack of skill in working1
 are usually so  minute1 that they may  
remain undistinguished until the razor  
is used4 ,they  will nevertheless very  
sensibly add to the friction the razor  
produces on  the skin and particularly  
if it happens to be thin and tender4    

,there are  two ways of judging of the  
temper of a razor2 one of these is      
practically  infallible--viz3--the      
examination of the blade and its edge by
 means of a  microscope4    ,it will be 
readily admitted that the real          
excellence of a razor is in  direct     
proportion to the firmness and unbroken 
regularity of its edge4  ,when a razor  
is too brittle1 in consequence of having
 been either to much  heated in the     
process of hardening1 or not            
sufficiently cooled in that of          
tempering1 it cannot possibly take a    
good cutting edge1 no matter how much   
skill may be employed in honing and     
stropping it4 ,such defects are quickly 
detected by the use of a microscope in  
the hands of an experienced and         
attentive observer4    ,the other method
 of testing the temper1 while not       
infallible1 will  nevertheless be of    
assistance even to the most             
inexperienced4 ,it consists  of catching
 the point of the blade under the thumb 

nail1 and then letting  the nail slip   
off quickly4 ,if the blade gives a good 
clear ring1 you may  conclude that it is
 well tempered1 but if it does not ring 
full and  clear it is an indication that
 the blade is tempered unevenly4        
,,the ,,concave ,,blade4    ,the        
thinnest edge is always the sharpest4 ,a
 blade ought therefore to be as  thin as
 the strength of the metal composing it 
will permit4 ,nearly all  razors are now
 made hollow-ground or concave--a great 
improvement over  the old style of thick
 blade4 ,the edge of the hollow-ground  
razor is  thinner and therefore cuts    
better1 and is much easier to keep      
sharp4    ,almost any desired make of   
razor may be had in either half1        
three-quarters1 or full concave4 ,the   
full concave blade is of course the     
thinnest4 ,in view of the fact that the 
thinner the edge the sharper the        
instrument1 most purchasers of a razor  
quite naturally conclude that the  full 
concave blade is the best4 ,our         

impression is that this is a mistake2   
that the full concave blade is not so   
good for shaving most beards as the     
three-quarters concave4 ,in a very      
deeply hollow ground razor1 the blade is
  ground extremely thin1 back to a line 
some distance from the edge4 ,when  such
 an edge--almost as thin as paper--comes
 in contact with a stiff  beard1 unless 
the blade is held very flat upon the    
face1 it is quite  likely to bend and   
spring1 and a cut will be the result4   
,,width ,,of ,,the ,,blade4    ,the     
width of the blade is another point that
 should receive attention4 ,as  a rule  
we believe the beginner selects too wide
 a blade4 ,a comparatively  narrow one1 
in the size known as the #d-h is the    
best for most purposes1  as it does not 
spring on the face so readily as the    
wide blade1 yet it  follows the contours
 of the face more closely1 and in       
general is managed  more easily4        
,illustration3 ,,showing ,,different    
,,widths ,,of ,,blades4      ,,point    

,,of ,,the ,,blade4    ,the point of the
 razor ought to be slightly rounded as  
shown in the  illustration4 ,while this 
is seemingly a small matter1 yet a sharp
 point  has probably occasioned more    
cuts than almost any other cause4 ,if   
you  have a razor with a sharp point1   
you can round it off1 on the edge of    
the hone4 ,you should not use the top   
surface of the hone for this purpose1   
for if you do you are quite likely to   
scratch the hone and spoil it4 ,use     
water freely otherwise the blade will   
become heated and that would quickly    
spoil its temper4    ,illustration3     
,a4--,,the ,,round ,,pointed ,,blade4   
,illustration3 ,b4--,,the ,,sharp       
,,pointed ,,blade4          ,,iii4      
,,care ,,of ,,the ,,razor4      ,take   
good care of your razor4 ,many a fine   
razor has been spoiled by  carelessness 
and neglect on the part of the user4    
,the life of a razor will  depend       
entirely on the care given it4 ,never   
put it away until it has first  been    

wiped thoroughly dry1 using a piece of  
chamois skin for this purpose4  ,even   
this will not remove all the moisture1  
so the blade should be drawn  across the
 strop a few times1 or else left exposed
 to the air for a few  moments until the
 little particles of moisture not       
removed by the cloth  have evaporated4  
,then you may replace the razor in its  
case with the  expectation of finding it
 in good condition when you next use it4
    ,rusting must be prevented1         
especially upon the edge1 which seems to
 rust  more quickly than any other part 
of the blade4 ,a tiny rust spot on this 
delicate line1 by causing the metal to  
soften and crumble at that point1  will 
soon end the usefulness of the razor1   
unless the edge is ground back  past the
 rust spot4 ,in such a case there is    
always the liability of not  getting a  
good edge4    ,in wiping the lather off 
the blade never use a glazed or coarse  
paper4  ,tissue paper is the best4 ,many
 overlook this point and by drawing the 

blade straight across a glazed or hard  
finished paper1 turn the edge1 and  then
 wonder why the razor has lost its      
keenness4 ,draw the blade over the      
paper obliquely1 away from the edge1 in 
the same direction as when  stropping   
it4          ,,iv4    ,,the ,,safety    
,,razor4      ,of recent years a great  
number of safety razors have been       
invented and  placed on the market1 the 
manufacturers of each claiming that     
theirs are  superior to all others and  
that they have at last produced a razor 
that is  destined to revolutionize      
shaving4    ,one thing may be said of   
safety razors in general--that if a man 
uses one  he is less likely to cut      
himself1 but this is all that can       
reasonably be  said in their favor4 ,of 
course1 if it were impossible to shave  
with the  ordinary razor without cutting
 one's self1 then the safety razor would
  become a necessity4 ,the truth is1    
however1 that anyone who has a good keen
  smooth-cutting razor1 lathers the face

 thoroughly1 and will learn--if he  does
 not already know--how to handle the    
razor properly1 will run almost  no     
danger4 ,such a man will seldom cut     
himself4    ,on the other hand1 most of 
the safety razors are difficult to keep 
clean  and dry1 and therefore free from 
rust2 and owing to the difficulty of    
stropping them1 it is almost1 if not    
quite impossible to keep them sharp4    
,it is also difficult to make the       
correct stroke with them4 ,probably a   
hundred thousand safety razors have been
 sold in the ,united ,states within  the
 past few years and it is extremely     
doubtful if ten per cent4 of them  are  
now in use4          ,v4    ,,the       
,,hone4      ,the edge of a razor1 when 
viewed under a powerful microscope1     
presents an  appearance very different  
from that seen by the unaided eye4      
,unmagnified1  the edge appears to be a 
continuous unbroken line4 ,such actually
 is not  the case1 for the microscope   
reveals the fact that1 instead of being 

straight and unbroken1 the edge is in   
reality composed of a great number  of  
minute points much resembling the teeth 
of a saw4    ,these points or teeth     
follow each other throughout the entire 
length of  the blade1 and by their      
extreme minuteness and unbroken         
regularity give  the edge its exceeding 
keenness4 ,now if the razor becomes     
dull1 these  teeth will be less even and
 regular and their edges will be rounded
 and  worn away4 ,to sharpen the razor1 
therefore1 it is necessary--by making   
the  edge as thin as possible--to       
restore these little teeth to their     
original  condition4 ,this cannot be    
done by stropping1 but is accomplished  
only by  the process known as honing4   
,illustration3 ,,edge ,,of ,,the ,,razor
 ,,as ,,it ,,appears ,,under ,,the      
,,microscope4    ,it has been asserted  
by some1 that when once the razor has   
been ground and  set1 the strop alone   
without further honing or grinding is   
sufficient to  keep it in order4 ,this  

opinion has eminated from certain makers
 of  razor-strops1 who wish to induce   
the public to purchase their goods4     
,they  represent their strops as having 
been metalized1 or otherwise treated    
with some kind of preparation that makes
 honing unnecessary4 ,as a rule1 we     
would advise the reader to beware of    
these wonder-working-strops4 ,such      
preparations may1 and sometimes do1     
improve the strop1 just as lather  when 
applied to a strop will improve it1 but 
that they will do more than  this1 we   
deny4 ,when the special offices of the  
hone and of the strop are  fully        
understood1 it will at once become      
apparent that no strop can  possibly    
take the place of a hone4    ,the object
 of honing a razor is to make its edge  
as thin and flat as a  proper attention 
to the degree of firmness required will 
permit4 ,this is  accomplished by the   
hard fine grit of the hone cutting and  
wearing away  the steel4 ,the strop     
cannot do this4 ,on the contrary1       

stropping a razor1  instead of giving it
 a thin and flat edge1 always has a     
tendency to  produce a rounded one4     
,this results from the very nature of   
the strop1  which always gives or sags  
more or less during the process of      
stropping1  and the more the strop is   
permitted to sag1 the sooner will such  
an edge  be produced1 and in proportion 
as the edge assumes this rounded form1  
it  losses its keenness4 ,the flattest  
and thinnest edge is always the         
sharpest1 and the only way to impart    
such an edge to a razor is by means  of 
the hone4    ,before explaining the     
process of honing1 it may be well to say
 a word  about the different kinds of   
hones1 so that should the reader wish to
  purchase one1 he may do it            
intelligently4    ,there are two        
distinct classes of hones in general    
use1--one known as the  rock hone1 on   
account of its being cut from the       
natural rock1 and the  other            
manufactured4 ,a great number of hones  

are produced in different  parts of the 
,united ,states1 but few that are really
 suitable for  sharpening razors4 ,a    
razor hone must be of the very finest   
quality4 ,the  natural stones are       
usually composed principally of silica1 
which is one of  the sharpest cutting   
minerals known4 ,it easily cuts the     
hardest steel and  the fine grit imparts
 a very smooth edge to a razor4 ,the    
,arkansas1 found  near the famous ,hot  
,springs1 is one of this variety1 but   
owing to the  difficulty of obtaining   
this stone1 and the great waste in      
cutting it1 the  supply is limited and  
the price high4    ,illustration3 ,,the 
,,hone4    ,most of the razor hones used
 in the ,united ,states are imported4   
,the most  noted are the ,german water  
hones1 the oil hones from ,belgium1 and 
the  ,swaty hones from ,austria4 ,the   
last named are very reasonable in price 
and  quite a favorite among barbers4    
,they are a manufactured hone1 and in   
some  respects the manufactured hones   

are superior to the natural stones1 in  
that they are free from seams and uneven
 spots and perfectly uniform in         
texture4    ,most men have the idea that
 honing is a difficult operation and    
should be  undertaken only by expert    
cutlers or barbers4 ,very few seem to   
think that  they can hone there own     
razors4 ,how this impression became     
current1 it is  difficult to say4 ,we   
venture to assert1 however1 that honing 
a razor is at  least as easy as         
stropping it4 ,in this case as in many  
others1 the  difficulty arises from     
supposing there is a difficulty4        
,how to ,use the ,hone          ,,vi4   
,,how ,,to ,,use ,,the ,,hone4      ,the
 hone being the only means of sharpening
 a dull razor1 its use becomes  at once 
of the utmost importance to those who   
wish to keep their razors in  perfect   
order4    ,hones are seldom used dry1   
but are usually covered with either     
water1  lather or oil3 first--to prevent
 heating the blade which would quickly  

spoil its temper2 second--to keep the   
particles of steel that are ground  off 
the blade from entering the pores of the
 stone1 which would soon fill  up and   
result in what is known as a glazed     
surface2 and third--to make  the surface
 of the hone as smooth as possible4     
,before commencing the operation1 wipe  
the hone clean1 then put on a few  drops
 of oil or else cover it with water or  
lather4 ,this will float the  little    
particles of steel ground off the razor1
 thus preventing them from  remaining   
directly on the hone to impede its full 
and equal effect4 ,with  most hones you 
may use either water1 lather or oil2 but
 do not change from  one to the other2  
whichever you begin with1 use that      
exclusively4 ,it  requires a longer time
 to produce a keen edge when oil is used
 but the  edge is somewhat smoother4    
,most barbers use lather and we should  
advise  the beginner to do so4          
,,directions ,,for ,,honing4    ,the    
hone1 with its fine surface up1 should  

be placed perfectly flat on a  table or 
other solid foundation4 7,the rough     
surface is intended merely as  a support
 and not for use47 ,after covering the  
hone with lather1 place  the razor flat 
upon it as shown in ,fig4 ,a4 ,with the 
thumb and fore finger1  grasp the razor 
back of the heel1 so as to have firm    
hold of both the  blade and the handle4 
,draw the blade from heel to point1     
forward against  the edge1 and with a   
moderate degree of pressure1 until it   
comes into the  position shown in ,fig4 
,b4 ,now1 without lifting the blade from
 the stone1  turn the edge up1 so that  
the razor rests on the back of the      
blade4 ,slide  it forward on its back   
from point to heel and let it fall into 
the  position indicated in ,fig4 ,c4    
,push the blade from heel to point      
against  the edge1 finishing the stroke 
as in ,fig4 ,d4 ,turn the blade on its  
back1  slide from point to heel and let 
it fall into the first position1 as     
shown  in ,fig4 ,a4 ,continue honing    

until the blade is sufficiently keen and
 free  from nicks and inequalities4     
,this may be known by drawing the edge1 
very  lightly1 across the moistened     
thumb nail4 ,if it sticks to the nail   
slightly1 it is an indication that the  
honing has developed the little  teeth  
which constitute the perfect razor edge1
 and that the razor is now  ready for   
stropping4    ,illustration3 ,,how ,,to 
,,hone ,,the ,,razor4    ,if the honing 
be carried too far1 a wire edge will be 
produced1 and this  must be removed4 ,to
 do this1 draw the edge with a steady   
hand across the  moistened thumb nail in
 the manner indicated above4 ,the blade 
should then  be drawn once or twice     
across the hone as before1 in order to  
unite all  parts of the edge and cause a
 perfect equality of keenness from one  
end of  the blade to the other4 ,with   
this done1 the operation is in general  
performed1 and the wondrous difficulty  
of honing the razor vanishes4           
,,special ,,directions4    ,the         

following directions should be specially
 observed4    ,first--,the blade should 
be held perfectly flat on the hone1 so  
that the  back1 as well as the edge1    
touches the stone4 ,if the back is      
raised from  the stone so that only the 
edge touches1 the bevel will be short   
and the  edge blunt4    ,second--,in    
drawing the blade across the hone       
diagonally against the edge1  the heel  
should be about one and a half inches in
 advance of the point1  and care should 
be taken to maintain the same angle when
 the stroke is  reversed and throughout 
the entire operation4 ,this sets the    
teeth at the  proper angle1 that is1    
slightly inclined toward the heel4 ,we  
have likened  the edge of a razor to    
that of a saw1 but there is this        
difference3 saw  teeth incline away from
 the handle and toward the point1 while 
the razor  teeth incline away from the  
point and toward the heel4 ,this is     
correct in  principle1 for the saw in   
use is pushed away from the handle      

toward the  point1 while the razor is   
usually drawn away from the point toward
 the  heel4    ,third--,press with equal
 force on all parts of the edge4 ,with a
 good hone1  very little pressure will  
be required4    ,the time required to   
hone a razor depends much on the        
condition of the  razor and the hardness
 of the steel composing it4 ,when the   
edge is in the  usual condition--that is
 when it is free from nicks and has     
merely become  thick in consequence of  
the injudicious use of the razor        
strop--it will  need very little honing2
 eight or ten strokes in each direction 
will be  quite sufficient4 ,when1       
however1 the edge has nicks3 though so  
small as to  be scarcely perceptible1   
the operation will require more time and
  attention4 ,should the nicks be large1
 it will be better to send the razor  to
 a cutler to be ground4    ,if the razor
 is well cared for and properly         
stropped1 it will not require  very     
frequent honing1 probably not oftener   

than once in from six to eight  weeks4  
,when it is required you will become    
aware of it1 from the fact that         
stropping will not sharpen it4          
,,vii4    ,,the ,,strop4      ,the      
object of honing the razor1 as has been 
explained1 is to abraid and  wear away  
the edge of the blade so that it becomes
 as thin as possible4  ,but when this is
 done1 the process of sharpening the    
razor is still  incomplete1 for the     
edge1 when taken from the hone1 is left 
rough and  unfit to put on the face4    
,another process is necessary1 and that 
is  stropping4 ,the object of stropping 
is not to make the blade thinner1 but   
to smooth the edge1 taking off the rough
 surface of the little teeth  which have
 been developed1 and setting them all in
 perfect alignment4  ,this gives the    
razor its exceeding keenness4    ,you   
should have a first-class strop4 ,it    
little matters how good your razor  may 
be if your strop is a poor one1 for it  
is absolutely impossible to  keep a     

razor in good condition if the strop is 
of poor quality or rough  and haggled4  
,many a razor has been blamed when the  
fault lie entirely with  the strop and  
the manner of using it4 ,so called      
sharpening preparations1  sometimes     
applied to the surface of strops1 as a  
substitute for the hone1  should be     
avoided4 ,most of them contain acid or  
emery1 which is likely to  gradually    
spoil the temper of the razor4    ,there
 are many kinds of strops manufactured  
and placed on the market1 some  good and
 some bad4 ,the most common is the swing
 strop1 made of leather or  horse hide  
on one side and canvas or hose on the   
other4 ,some of the  cheaper grades have
 a very coarse canvas1 and unless you   
wish to ruin  your razor1 you should    
never put it on such a strop4 ,in our   
opinion a  good leather or horse hide   
strop is the best1 and meets every      
requirement2 but if a combination strop 
is used1 the linen or hose side  should 
be of the finest quality4    ,the strop 

should be not less than twenty inches   
long and two inches wide4  ,its surface 
should be very soft and smooth--not     
glazed--and you can tell  whether it is 
so1 by rubbing the hand over it4 ,do not
 fold the strop when  putting it away1  
for if you do you are likely to crack or
 roughen the  surface1 and this will    
injure the edge of the blade when it is 
drawn  across it4      ,,care ,,of ,,the
 ,,strop4    ,after the strop has been  
put to a great deal of use1 it will     
sometimes be  found that it will not    
take hold on the razor--that is it will 
allow the  blade to slip over it with   
little or no resistance and thus fail to
 impart  a keen1 smooth-cutting edge4   
,the reason is that the strop has become
 dry  and porous4 ,do not attempt to    
remedy the matter by applying oil or    
razor  paste2 these will only make      
matters worse4 ,hang the strop on a     
hook1 and  with the left hand stretch as
 tightly as possible4 ,apply a good     
thick  lather to the surface and rub it 

in with the palm of the hand4 ,barbers  
sometimes nail the strop to a board and 
rub the lather in with a smooth  bottle2
 but the hand will do quite as well1 and
 indeed1 we think it  preferable4 ,what 
the strop requires is to have the pores 
filled with the  lather2 so put on and  
work in coat after coat1 until the      
leather will take  up no more4 ,then    
leave the strop to dry4 ,this simple    
treatment will  completely change the   
action of the strop1 and the next time  
you use it1  you will be surprised and  
delighted to note its improved effect on
 the  razor4 ,it will have that cling   
and resistance which barbers so much    
desire in a strop1 and which1 indeed1 is
 quite essential to its  efficiency4    
,,viii4    ,,how ,,to ,,strop ,,the     
,,razor4      ,place a hook in a door or
 a window casing about four or five feet
 from the  floor4 ,put the ring of the  
strop over the hook1 and hold the handle
 firmly  in the left hand as shown in   
the accompanying illustration4 ,the     

strop  should be pulled tight--not      
allowed to hang loosely--otherwise the  
edge of  the razor will become rounded  
and require frequent honing4    ,open   
the razor1 so that the handle is in line
 with the blade4 ,grasp it  firmly with 
the right hand1 the first two fingers   
and thumb holding the  razor just back  
of the heel1 so that perfect control is 
had of both the  blade and handle4 ,with
 the razor held in this manner it is an 
easy matter  to turn the razor back and 
forth from one side to the other4       
,illustration3 ,,how ,,to ,,strop ,,the 
,,razor4    ,lay the blade flat on the  
further end of the strop1 as shown in   
,fig4 ,e1  with the edge away from you4 
,draw the blade toward you1 always      
keeping the  heel of the razor in       
advance of the point4 ,when at the end  
of the strop1  rotate the razor on its  
back till the unstroped side of the     
blade comes in  contact with the strop1 
as shown in ,fig4 ,f4 ,then1 with the   
heel in  advance1 push the razor away   

from you1 until it reaches the further  
end of  the strop4 ,again rotate1 and   
continue the stropping until the razor  
is  sharp4    ,always hold the blade at 
the same angle1 and perfectly flat on   
the strop4  ,you will observe that the  
stroke is exactly opposite to that used 
in  honing4 ,in honing1 the edge is in  
advance2 in stropping1 the back4 ,during
  the operation the back of the razor   
should never be taken from the  strop4  
,by observing this1 and always turning  
the blade on its back1  instead of on   
the edge1 you will avoid cutting the    
strop4    ,beginners should not attempt 
to make a quick stroke4 ,let the stroke 
be  slow and even1 developing speed     
gradually until a complete mastery of   
the  movement is acquired4    ,if the   
razor is in good condition and not in   
need of honing1 fifteen or  twenty      
strokes in each direction will be       
sufficient4 ,if1 however1 the  razor    
should require honing1 no amount of     
stropping will put a keen edge  on it4  

,it will usually be necessary to strop  
the razor each time you  shave1 and with
 stiff beards more than once may be     
required4          ,,ix4    ,,the       
,,brush4      ,purchase a good brush4   
,the cheap ones are usually the most    
expensive in  the end1 and nearly always
 prove unsatisfactory4 ,it should be    
remembered  that the vital part of a    
brush is in the setting1 and particular 
attention should therefore be paid to   
that part of it4 ,cheap brushes are     
commonly set with glue1 rosin or cement1
 which soon cracks and becomes          
unadhesive2 whereupon the bristles fall 
out4 ,we recommend a brush made of      
bristles or badger hair and set in hard 
vulcanized rubber4 ,a brush so          
constructed1 with wood1 bone or ivory   
handle1 and hard rubber ferule1 will    
not shed the bristles or crack open1 and
 with proper care will last for  years4 
,illustration3 ,,sectional ,,view ,,of  
,,the ,,brush ,,showing ,,internal      
,,construction4    ,illustration3 ,,the 

,,brush4    ,do not leave the lather to 
dry in the brush1 but after shaving     
rinse it  out thoroughly and dry the    
brush with a towel1 before putting away4
 ,the  cup and brush should be kept     
clean and away from dust4 ,once a week  
they  should be washed with hot water4  
,x4    ,,the ,,cup4      ,the shaving   
cup should be of earthen ware or china1 
and large enough to  accommodate the    
ordinary round cake of shaving soap4    
,some cups are made  with two           
compartments1 one for soap and the other
 for water1 but this  arrangement is    
unnecessary1 and in fact1 not so        
convenient as the ordinary  cup1 for it 
leaves too little room for making the   
lather4    ,if possible1 the cake of    
soap should entirely fill the bottom of 
the cup  so that no space is left       
between the soap and the sides3         
otherwise water  will get in and keep   
the bottom of the cake continually      
soaked4 ,if it is  found that the cake  
does not quite fill the space1 take the 

soap out and  warm it until it becomes  
somewhat soft1 then put it back in the  
cup1 and  with the hand press down the  
sides all around1 thus flattening out   
the  cake until it quite fills the      
intervening space4 ,if at any time the  
soap  should cleave away from the sides 
of the cup1 it should be pressed back as
  at first4 ,this will be found the most
 convenient way of using the soap4      
,great care should be taken to keep the 
cup scrupulously clean1 rinsing it  out 
thoroughly each time after shaving1 in  
order to remove any lather that  may    
have been left unused4 ,keep the cup    
away from dust4    ,some use the sticks 
of shaving soap and make the lather on  
the face4 ,while  this is permissable1  
we think the better way is to make the  
lather in the  cup and put it on with   
the brush4          ,,xi4    ,,the      
,,soap4      ,next to the razor1 the    
most important article of the shaving   
outfit is the  soap4 ,in its proper use 
lies the real secret of easy shaving4   

,the razor  may be ever so good1 but    
unless the beard is properly lathered   
with a good  soap1 shaving will be      
anything but a pleasure4 ,use only a    
regular  recognized standard make of    
shaving soap1 not1 under any            
circumstances1 a  toilet soap4 ,the     
latter is not intended for shaving1 and 
is likely to  produce irritations of the
 skin and leave the face rough and sore4
    ,a wrong idea prevails regarding the
 use of the soap4 ,the popular          
impression is that the soap is used for 
the purpose of softening the  beard1 in 
which condition it is supposed to be    
most easily cut4 ,this is a  mistake4   
,the soap is used1 not to soften the    
beard1 but to produce  exactly the      
opposite effect--namely1 to make the    
hair stiff and brittle1  so that they   
will present a firm and resisting       
surface to the razor4 ,a  hair1 as is   
well known1 is a tube composed of a hard
 fibrous substance1  growing from a bulb
 or root1 which secretes an oily matter4

 ,this oil works  its way up through the
 hair1 and by permeating all parts1     
renders the hair  soft and pliable4 ,now
 in this natural oily condition1 it is  
very difficult  to cut the hair with a  
razor1 and it becomes even more         
difficult if the  beard be made still   
softer by the application of hot water4 
,many do this1  and it is no wonder they
 find shaving difficult4 ,when this is  
done1 the  hairs become soft and limp1  
and the razor will either slip over them
  entirely1 or else cut partly into     
them1 bend them back and slice them     
lengthwise1 all the while pulling and   
straining them at the roots1 and  making
 the process of shaving most painful4   
,now soap has the opposite  effect4 ,it 
contains either alkali1 potash or soda1 
which when applied to  the beard in the 
form of lather1 unites with the oil of  
the hair1  neutralizing it and removing 
it1 and renders the hairs hard stiff and
  brittle--in which condition they may  
be easily and readily cut4 ,for the     

sake of cleanliness1 the face should1 of
 course1 be washed previous to  shaving 
in order to remove any dirt or grit from
 the beard1 which might  dull the razor2
 but before applying the lather1 the    
face should be well  dried with a towel4
          ,,xii4    ,,the ,,lather4     
,to make the lather1 see that the soap  
is placed in the cup according to       
previous directions4 ,fill the cup with 
water1 allowing it to stand for a  few  
seconds1 then pour the water out4       
,usually sufficient water to make the   
lather will adhere to the cup1 soap and 
brush4 ,now with the brush1 mix         
thoroughly1 using a combined stirring   
and churning motion1 until a good  thick
 lather appears4 ,the more the brush is 
rubbed over the soap the  thicker the   
lather becomes4 ,a great deal depends   
upon having the lather  just right4 ,if 
it is thin and watery1 you will have    
poor success in  shaving4 ,the more     
creamy it is1 the better will be the    
effect of the  alkali in stiffening the 

beard4 ,some of the poorer qualities of 
soap  produce lather very quickly1      
sometimes half filling the cup1 but it  
will  be found thin and without lasting 
qualities1 so that by the time one side 
of the face has been shaved1 the lather 
is all gone from the other4 ,a good     
soap will produce a thick creamy lather 
that will last throughout the  entire   
process of shaving4      ,,applying     
,,the ,,lather4    ,put the lather on   
with the brush1 covering every part of  
the face that you  intend to shave4     
,then with the fingers rub it thoroughly
 into the beard  until the lather has   
had sufficient time to stiffen the      
hairs4 ,next to  having the razor in    
perfect condition1 this is the most     
important thing to  do2 for it is       
impossible to shave easily unless the   
face is well lathered  and the lather   
thoroughly worked into the beard4 ,go   
over the face once  more with the brush1
 in order to spread the lather evenly1  
and then  begin shaving at once1 before 

the lather has time to dry4 ,should it  
dry  while you are shaving1 wet the     
brush slightly and apply fresh lather4  
,if  you prepare your face in accordance
 with these instructions1 a keen razor  
will slip over the face so easily that  
shaving will become a real  pleasure4   
,,xiii4    ,,instructions ,,to          
,,beginners4      ,if you are a young   
man1 just beginning to shave1 it is     
important that you  commence right4 ,it 
is quite as easy to learn the right way 
as the  wrong way4 ,do not entertain the
 idea that it is a difficult matter for 
one to shave himself--for there is      
nothing difficult about it when you     
know how4 ,you may have previously tried
 and failed1 but if you will now  follow
 the instructions contained in this     
book1 there is no reason why  shaving   
may not be performed without further    
difficulties4    ,illustration3 ,,the   
,,right ,,way ,,to ,,hold ,,the ,,razor4
    ,the accompanying illustration shows
 the position in which the razor should 

be held4 ,it will be observed that the  
handle is thrown well back past the     
heel4 ,the first three fingers rest on  
the back of the blade1 with the  little 
finger over the crook at the end1 and   
the thumb on the side of the  blade1    
near the middle4 ,in this position1 with
 the handle acting as a  balance1 the   
razor will be under perfect control1 and
 there will be little  danger of cutting
 oneself4 ,this position can be         
maintained throughout most  of the      
process of shaving1 although it may be  
necessary to change it  slightly while  
shaving certain parts1 as for instance  
the neck1 under the  jaw4 ,but whatever 
the position1 endeavor to have the razor
 at all times  under perfect control4   
,the position here indicated1 is the one
 we should  certainly advise the        
beginner to adopt1 but if a man1 from   
long continued  use has formed the habit
 of holding the razor in a different    
way1 any  change will prove difficult   
and may not be advisable4      ,,the    

,,stroke4    ,owing no doubt largely to 
individual temperament1 there is        
considerable  variation in the manner of
 using the razor1 with different        
persons4 ,some  find a long slow stroke 
best1 while others make it short and    
quick4 ,each  man must suit the stroke  
to his own convenience4 ,but certain    
principles  are applicable to everybody4
 ,in the first place you should begin   
with a  slow even stroke1 gradually     
increasing it as you gain better control
 of  the razor4 ,speed will develop     
naturally with practice4    ,hold the   
razor quite flat upon the face4 ,do not 
pull the razor directly  down against   
the beard1 but hold it obliquely to the 
direction of  movement4 ,in general     
shave in the direction of the growth of 
the beard1  like this3    ,illustration 
,shaving against the growth pulls the   
hairs and thus irritates the skin1  and 
if the beard is heavy and wiry the edge 
of the blade is quite liable  to catch  
in the hairs and be deflected inward and

 cut the face4      ,,position ,,of     
,,the ,,mirror4    ,the mirror should   
hang between two windows if possible1 so
 that when you  look into it the light  
will fall directly upon both sides of   
your face4  ,you will then be able to   
get a good reflection of either side4   
,remove the  collar4 ,to prevent soiling
 the shirt1 place a towel around the    
neck in an  easy1 comfortable manner1   
pinning it at the side4          ,,xiv4 
,the ,right ,way to ,shave              
,illustration3 ,,to ,,shave ,,the       
,,right ,,side ,,of ,,the ,,face4       
,,to ,,shave ,,the ,,right ,,side ,,of  
,,the ,,face4    ,reach over the head   
with the left hand and with the fingers 
draw the skin  upward1 thus making a    
smooth shaving surface4 ,the            
illustration shows the  proper position4
 ,shave downward until about half of the
 right cheek is  shaved1 then slide the 
left hand still further over until the  
fingers rest  in the middle of the cheek
 and again pull the skin upward4 ,now   

continue to  shave downward until the   
entire right side of the face is shaved 
clean1 as  far as the middle of the chin
 and well under the jaw4                
,illustration3 ,,to ,,shave ,,the       
,,right ,,side ,,of ,,the ,,face ,,under
 ,,the ,,jaw4    ,,to ,,shave ,,the     
,,right ,,side ,,of ,,the ,,face ,,under
 ,,the ,,jaw4    ,hold the head over    
toward the left side with the chin      
slightly elevated4  ,with the fingers of
 the left hand1 draw the skin tight     
under the jaw4  ,shave downward if the  
beard grows in that direction2 if not   
reverse the  stroke4 ,you should never  
shave against the growth when going over
 the face  the first time1 if it can be 
avoided4 ,keep the skin as tightly drawn
 as  possible1 for a better shaving     
surface is thus presented to the razor1 
and  there is less liability of cutting 
yourself4      ,illustration3 ,,to      
,,shave ,,the ,,left ,,side ,,of ,,the  
,,face4    ,,to ,,shave ,,the ,,left    
,,side ,,of ,,the ,,face4    ,place the 

fingers of the left hand in front of and
 just above the ear and  press upward so
 as to draw the skin smooth on the upper
 left cheek4 ,with  the razor in the    
right hand1 toe pointing upward1 reach  
across the face as  shown above1 and    
shave downward4 ,in shaving the lower   
part of the cheek  and chin1 follow     
downward with the left hand1 keeping the
 skin tightly  drawn4                   
,illustration3 ,,to ,,shave ,,the ,,left
 ,,side ,,of ,,the ,,face ,,under ,,the 
,,jaw4    ,,to ,,shave ,,the ,,left     
,,side ,,of ,,the ,,face ,,under ,,the  
,,jaw4    ,for many1 this is the most   
difficult part of the face to shave as  
the skin  is very tender1 and unless    
treated gently will soon become         
irritated and  sore4 ,to shave easily1  
raise the chin1 incline the head toward 
the right1  and draw the skin as tight  
as possible with the left hand4 ,shave  
downward  unless1 as sometimes happens1 
the beard grows in the opposite         
direction1  in which case you will1 of  

course1 reverse the stroke4    ,to shave
 the upper lip1 draw the lip down as    
much as possible1 to tighten  the skin4 
,owing to the strong muscle in the lip1 
you will hardly need to  use the left   
hand for this purpose4                  
,illustration3 ,,to ,,shave ,,under     
,,the ,,chin4    ,,to ,,shave ,,under   
,,the ,,chin4    ,throw the head        
backward and elevate the chin4 ,hold the
 razor in the right  hand1 and with the 
fingers of the left hand draw the skin  
downward4 ,you  should always endeavor  
to keep the skin drawn as smooth as     
possible1 for  by so doing you will     
greatly lessen the liability of cutting 
yourself and  will be able to shave much
 more easily4      ,illustration3 ,,to  
,,shave ,,upward ,,against ,,the        
,,growth ,,of ,,the ,,beard4            
,,shaving ,,over ,,the ,,second ,,time4 
,if you desire a really clean shave1 you
 must go over the face the second  time4
 ,strop the razor a few times before    
beginning4 ,lather the face as  before1 

though it is unnecessary to rub the     
lather in with the fingers4  ,simply put
 it on with the brush4    ,in shaving   
over the face the second time1 some     
reverse the stroke4 ,that  is1 they     
shave upward against the growth of the  
beard1 instead of  downward1 as during  
the first time over4 ,this gives an     
exceedingly close  shave and if the     
beard is stiff and heavy and the skin   
thin and tender1 it  may make the face  
sore1 and cause the hairs to grow       
inward1 under the  skin4 ,perhaps the   
best way will be to shave lightly over  
the face the  second time1 in the same  
direction as at first4 ,each man should 
decide  this point according to his own 
experience4          ,,xv4    ,,care    
,,of ,,the ,,face ,,after ,,shaving4    
,most men who shave themselves seem to  
think that when they have removed  the  
beard1 they have nothing further to do4 
,this is a great mistake4 ,they         
undervalue the importance of a proper   
treatment of the face4 ,a quick and     

easy way of caring for the face after   
shaving1 is to remove the lather by  a  
thorough washing1 then to apply either  
witch hazel1 bay rum or some  other good
 face lotion1 and to follow this with a 
small quantity of talcum  powder1 evenly
 applied4 ,this is probably about all   
that the average man  will usually find 
time to do4    ,in order1 however1 to   
keep the skin in a healthful condition1 
a little  more elaborate treatment      
should occasionally be given4 ,we       
recommend the  following3 ,wash the face
 thoroughly to free it from the lather1 
and then  apply a steaming hot towel1 as
 hot as can be borne4 ,the heat and     
moisture  draw the blood to the face1   
open the pores1 and set up a healthful  
action  of the skin4 ,next apply witch  
hazel1 and finally give the face a      
thorough  massage4 ,there is no other   
treatment so beneficial to the skin4    
,with many  persons the flow of blood to
 the face and scalp is very sluggish1   
because  of enfeebled or slow heart     

action2 and in consequence1 the many    
small  arteries and capillaries become  
clogged4 ,massage stimulates the        
circulation1 and brings the blood from  
the inner centers to the surface1       
filling the many minute capillaries just
 underneath the skin1 thus  producing a 
tonic effect1 which gives the skin      
renewed vigor and health4      ,,what   
,,to ,,do ,,for ,a ,,cut4    ,if a man  
cuts himself while shaving1 it is       
usually due to certain causes  that are 
easily avoidable4 ,the principal causes 
are six in number3                      
,first--,attempting to shave with a dull
 razor4    ,second--,using a sharp      
pointed razor4    ,third--,shaving with 
a razor that is too hollow ground1 so   
that the edge  springs and bends on the 
face4    ,fourth--,holding the razor    
improperly4    ,fifth--,shaving upward  
against the growth of the beard4        
,sixth--,shaving in too great a hurry4  
,if you will avoid these mistakes and   
exercise proper care1 you will seldom   

cut yourself4 ,but when you do1 it will 
be well to know how to treat the  wound4
 ,if it be slight1 the bleeding may     
sometimes be checked by using  pressure4
 ,covering the fingers with a towel1    
simply press the cut  together4 ,if this
 does not stop the flow1 use an         
astringent4 ,the styptis  pencils1 made 
especially for this purpose1 are the    
best1 and may be  obtained at any store 
where barbers' supplies are kept4 ,in   
case you should  not have the pencils1  
alum may be used4 ,in any event do not  
be  discouraged1 for such accidents     
sometimes happen to the best barbers4   
,illustration          ,,xvi4           
,,irritation ,,of ,,the ,,skin--,,its   
,,cause ,,and ,,prevention4      ,some  
men almost always experience burning and
 irritation of the skin after  shaving4 
,to such1 we wish to offer some         
suggestions1 which we hope will  greatly
 benefit1 if not entirely prevent the   
trouble4    ,the most common cause of   
irritation is undoubtedly a dull razor4 

,if the  razor is keen and sharp1 the   
hairs will yield readily to the blade   
and no  irritation will be produced4    
,but if the blade is dull1 instead of   
cutting  the hairs easily1 it passes    
over some1 slices other lengthwise1 and 
pulls  and strains at the roots of all4 
,this necessitates scraping the face    
over  and over again1 in order to get a 
clean shave1 and the result is an       
irritation that perhaps continues until 
you are ready to shave again4 ,thus  the
 tender parts of the skin are kept in a 
state of continual irritation4  ,the    
remedy is of course1 to see that the    
razor is always keen and sharp4         
,another cause that may be mentioned1 is
 chafing of the neck by the collar4  ,if
 the edge of the collar is worn and     
rough1 and comes in contact with the    
tender skin1 it is sure to make it sore4
    ,too close shaving is a frequent    
cause1 and those who are troubled in    
this  way will do well to shave over the
 face but once4    ,some of the cheap   

toilet waters are adulterated1 and      
contain ingredients  which undoubtedly  
produce a bad effect on the skin4 ,in   
using bay rum or  other face lotions1   
use only the best4 ,if much trouble is  
experienced1 we  should advise the use  
of pure distilled witch hazel1 which may
 be  obtained at any drug store4 ,this  
is soothing to the face and allays the  
burning4    ,sometimes the trouble is   
due to an excess of alkali or potash in 
the soap4  ,the best shaving soaps are  
especially prepared and have antiseptic 
and  demulcent properties1 which render 
them practically non-irritating4 ,after 
shaving1 take care to remove all the    
soap from the face2 for during the      
process1 the lather has been worked into
 the pores of the skin1 and only  by    
means of a thorough washing can it all  
be removed4    ,irritations resulting   
from constitutional disease1 or impurity
 of the  blood1 should1 of course1 be   
treated by a physician4    ,some men are
 more subject to irritation of the skin 

than others4 ,those who  have a thin and
 tender skin and a heavy and stiff      
beard1 are especially  liable1 but with 
care1 even these may prevent most of the
 trouble4