Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-14
CONCERNING RAzORs.
where They are Made. How they arc
iced. and what beeoases OF Them.

why, they re field broader than the
moral law. They are the touch to ma
ture that makes all mankind kin, from
President Arthur in his dressing room
to his constituents at a penny-ante po-
ker game in Thompson street. No, Few
razors are made Ia this country-none
worth speaking of-say one III million
The best come from England. Inc
next best are Swiss. The French razors
deserve a proud distinction as climax
ing the worst, so far as | know. Some
used to be made in Bridgeport, Conn,
but believe the enterprise was aoan-
doned. Some are made yet In Aassa-
chusetts, at Worcester. but MT many.
"In one respect We do better here
than in ENGLAND. We can give here a
deeper concave grind than the English
grinders can put upon razor, con5e-
auently many Thousand dozens OF
blanks are shipped here every year for
finishing. The reason for this 10 that
skilled and careful German grinders
are in the business here. Inc business
started in Hamburg, and has drifted
into German hands almost entirely 80 Tar
as this country Is concerned. Years
ago the most famous Sheffield firm OF
cutters in the razor trade imported TIVE
German grinders to show how their
class of work could be done. 1t preclp-
itated general strike, and the employ
ers had to come To the strikers de-
mands-the bouncing out OF the
Deutschers.
The Sheffield grinders are Englishmen
and will not readily accept the coppe-
tition of men of other nationalities or
adopt the methods of others. They are
not fond of change. Razors ground to
perfection over here have been shown
to them as models, but do you imagine
they wodld follow them? No, indeed.
Primarily a razor, to be good, must be
made of good steel, but it must also be
ground properly to be fit for shaving.
Everything, in fitting any edge tool for
use, depends upon a correct understand
ing of the services it is expected to per
form, and nice adaptation of its edge
to Just that service. A carving knife,
for instance, must be ground fat on one
side and wed ge- shaped on the other; a
pocket knife must be ground convex
and have a sufficient thickness behind
its edge to keep it; and a razor must be
ground thin and cOncave. See this one,
for instance. 1t is, as you will observe,
thinner a little back of the edge than
close to it. hardly thicker than a sheet
of paper. Nip the end of its edge with
your thumb nail and yod will hear il
ring like little silver bell. More "a
zors are spoiled by improper grinding
than in any other way. The only way
to know positively whether razor il
good or not is To shave with it. The
eve will moi determine its quality. But
| even if zor is of the best steel and
| faultlessly ground, it may be spoiled
| and rendered quite unfit for shaving by
| improper stropping. little too much
stripping, or not quite enough, and
you will have bad edge. Then the IA.
zor, which is really not at all to blame
is condemned as no good.
| "Often, too, people who are not adopts
| in the handling of razors complain tina,
| their razors do not shave we'll, when the
fact is that tLey scrape with them, hold
| ing the blade almost at right angles tt
| the skin, or use them with straight
push of the edge against the hair. III,
proper way is to draw the razor with al
easy gliding motion against the hair
30. Use it right, and even if it is no
quite first GLASS razor or in perfect con
dition, you can still get pretty salts
factory shave with it. But, for lack O
doing that, people get the queer st no
tions about their Enthusiastically at
tribute to them whims and Obstinaeie
as if they we're sentient beings. know
one gentleman who affirms that his hes
razor, his pet when in town, will no
shave him at all in the couEtry. He &C
tually believes that. The fact is that b.
is away from his ordinary conditions
being and surroundings when he is il
the country, and. unconsciously, O
course, neither treats his razor no
uses it rs he would at home. Man
men affirm that their raZOrs refuse t,
work we'll on the sea coast, as if til,
razor cared where it is used. Three
quarters of the people who shave them
selves do not know how to use a razor
and consequently are liable to condemn
a good one.
"A racer is supposed to be better TO
rest ~ Ter it has been used for a goo
while. And it is. NV Idea about it
that an imperoeptible rust gathers on
in disuse, and when that is hened an
stropped off its edge is thinner an
sharper than before. But you will nc
: infrequently hear halbe speak of
! razor as being tired and needing rest
Many men AVOID wcaryiAg razor b
, constant use by the expedient of bavin
. several and using them in turn. Her,
for example, Is what We term 'calon
dar CASE got up to meet the require
|, ments of gentlemen who take that sens
BILE view of their raZors. 1t contains, q
you will observe, seven fine raZors, ID
beled on the backs for the DAYS of til
week. Such cases are sold at vari0u
prices. all the way from 81 to $40. VIII
do call it a sensible viewr Becaus
!, naturally, seven razors, by such chanl
ing around, will each do but one -sevent
of what would be required of one IA 70
in constant use, and consequently th
!, evil day of re-grinding is put seve
, times further away. Some men kaye
great number OF vazors, and keep nc
ding to their collection all the tim,
: Joe jefferson, the actor, buys at least
dozen per annum from a big cutler
house on Nassau street alone, and
: know he also buys elsewhere. shout
imagine that he must have a trunk flu
Of razors, If he does not lose them q
. give them away all the time.
"A good razor is worth from 81 80 I
$3.50, but there are cheap kiads sold q
:. low as 81 dozen. Those are the kin
. generally employed in Thompson sire.
: to stiffen up weak poker hands or pe,
shade people who don't carry a razzer
There are an infinite number of STYLE
and sizes of razors, Some like BIZ
heavy blade; others small. light, Yer
narrow, and deeply coRcaved blade.
rather think the latter are least liable I
out the skin. In all cases the blade an
| handle of the razor should balance pel
fectly when it is held in position fc
use"
i ut ia q wonder to me where all th
| razors 90 to-what becomes Of them,
said the genial proprietor a she big cu
Il lery house in Nassau street. "Now,
/ deal OH - stFieelR fr1t elon GOOD, {
1IfMxor6 III 60 H. n >.py.o
my business 10 more rel "a IN
1lNInsa oeks, 49, s11ynor Af1npan1
2<67sAmanoN1oDzqrA wouh - tha
fSQ6QO sq,pe. :. Nd that y sbQ9t vhs
hers ~ bse<W1 eiRhe q ts1nprou
II ineut im1srtsus-d6 cU,5iderabIy NOR
I than ID. and il Is n0s Il all uncon
snow ~ me 10 ell lO0 dozen a day
Every boy shousd - tsauht 70 shave
II IL should be made . psBt of his educs
II tiou, Just as much as swimming, dans
iRg or carvine-dl necessary accom-
/ instrumental
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