Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1822-08-17
From the Albany Gazette.

On the use IF Soah instead or oil in set
ting cutting Instruments on Hone.
BY George Reveley, Esq. Of Queen square,
London. From the Transactions OF the So
ciety for the encouragement o! Arts, Manu-
features, and Commerce. The thanks OF the
Society were voted to Mr.. Rcyelcy for this
communication.
lbegto communicate to the society Of
arts, for the benefi, of The public, new
method OF setting razors, by substituting
soap instead of oil. Not having any oil
to set-my razor, it occurred 10 me to try
the soap | was washing with, called
palrI-soap, and found it so completely
to answer my purpose, that have con-
staDtly used it ever since, instead of oil,
both for razors and pen-knives. II sets
quicker, gives good edge, and re-
moves notches with great facility it is a
more Clearly material, oil being liable
to drop on and soil any thing ii comes in
contact with: dust win frequently get
into oil, which will spoil the edge, and in
such case it must be changed. 1t is as
cheap or cheaper than oil; small
square piece of palm-soap costing only
INV 'JNbSS3 NiIIii ViIi 1dot iJi cat
length of time. The operation is per-
formed as follows: having first cleaned
your hone with sponge, soap, and
water, wipe it dry; then dip the soap in
some clean soft water, and wetting also
the hone, rub the square Of soap lightly
over it, until the surface is thinly cover
ed all over then proceed to set in the
usual way, keeping the soap sufficiently
moist, and adding, from time to time, a
little more soap and water if it should be
necessary. Observe the soap is clean,
and free from dust, before you rub it on
the hone if it ahould not be so it is
easily washed clean; strnp the razor,
after setting, and also again when you
put it by, and sponge the hone when you
have done with it.
herewith send certificates respecting
my method of setting razors, which also
includes workmen's tools; tie fact there
by established of setting quicker, is inn !
portant, as one fourth in time gained by
those who are employed in setting con-
siderable number OF razors, sc. is an OBJ
Jeet both as 10 convenience and in saving
expense the excellent state in Which il :
keeps the hone, is also an object both in
respect 10 cleanliness, and the advantage
Of It's surface being kept 10 a better state.
tor action than when oil is used. With (
respect to nove!ty,I only can say never :
heard of any one having used it, or re-.
ceived any information from any one on
the subject Of setting with soap preyious-s
ly to my making the communication to
the society, nor can | learn, on inquiry,
that it is knows to the public.
Here followed the certificates offour
razor makers and working cutters, Civ. !.
ing it as their opinion, Z" that the use Of
soap FOR setting Of razors, is preferable
to that of oil, because they SET quicker,
and are much beiter."l a. PER- !.
In addition to the preceding ccrti6-s
Gates, ii is only necessary 10 state, that
both Mr.. West and Mr.. Pepys made
trial of Mr.. Reyeley's method in pre-
sence of the committee, and to their en-
tire satisfaction. ,
The saving,in point oftime, observed
by allwho have made comparative trials 4
ofoiland soap, will probably be accounts
edfor from the following considerations:
if,a blade Of steel is drawn along dry
hone, certain parts Of the hone will be
found to be covered by a thin film Of
steel abraded from the blade, ard now
adhering so6rmly to the hone, as 10 pref
vent its action in the parts thus covered.
Having removed the film of ssteclby
means Of a pumice-stone, and dropping
a little oil on the surface Of the hone, it |
will now be found that the abfaded par Il
ticles Of steel are suspended inthe oil,
which thus becomes discolored, while |