The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-04-04
coHcERH1na aAzoRs
W1srs xAsy Are lGads, How 1Asy Ar,
vssd and What BECOMES Of Them.

WAsxs xhsy Are 1Gsas, Low They Ars
Used and What BECOMES Of Them.
aRazors" said the expert to q repre-
sentative of the New York Sun,
swinging one of the tools in his hand
with a freedom that made the reporter
shudder, "why, they're field broader
than the moral law. They are the touch
to nature that makes all mankind kin,
from President Arthur in his dressing
room to his constituents at "a penny-ante
poker game in Thompson street. No,
few razors are made in this country
none worth speaking Of say one in q
million. The hest come from England
The next best are Swiss. The French
razors deserve proud distinction Of
climaxing the worst, so for as I know.
Some used to be made at Bridgeport,
Conn, but I believe the enterprise was
abandoned. Some are made yet in
Massachusetts,, ut Worcester, but not
many.
In one respect We do better here
than in England. We can give here o
deeper concave grind than the English
grinders can put upon q razor, conse-
quently many Thousand dozens of blanks
are shipped here every year for finish
ing. The reason for this is that the
skilled and careful German grinders
are in the business here. The business
started in Hamburg and has drifted
into German hands almost entirely so
far q this country is concerned. Years
ago the most famous Sheffield firm of
cutters in the razor trade imported two
German grinders to show how their class
ofwork could he done. It precipitatel
= general strike, and the employers had
70 come to the strikers demands-the
bouncing out of the Deutchers.
The Sheffield grinders are English
men and will not readily accept the
compeition Of men of other NATIONAL
tiles or adopt the method 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 would follow
themf No, indeed. Primarily q
/ razor, to be good, must be made Of
good steel, but it must also be ground
properly to be fit for shaving. Every
thing, in fitting any edge tool for use,
depends upon correct understanding
Of the service it is expected to perform
and nice adsption Of its edge to Just
that service. "A carving-knife, for in
stance, must be ground fiat OH one side
and wedged-shsped on the other q pock-
ct knife must be ground convex, and
have . sufficient thickness behind its
edge to keep it; and razor must he
ground thin and concave. See this one,
Tor instance. It is, us you will observe,
thinner q little back Of the edge than
close TO it, hardly thicker than sheet
ofpaper. Nip the end of its edge with
your thumb-nail, and you will hear il
4 ring like little silver bill. More "a.
/ Rors are spoiled by improper grinding
than il any other way. The only way
I to know positively whether razor il
good or not is to shave with it. The
eye will not determine its quality. But
even il razor is of the best steel and
4! fAultlessly groundit may he spoiled and
4 rendered quite unfit for shaving by i'm.
proper stropping. A little too much
q stropping, or not quite enough and YOU
will have bad edge. Then the razo,
which is really not at oil to blame, is
condemned asno good.
Often, too. people who are moi
\ sdepts in the handling of razors com.
plain that their razors do not shave
we'll, when the fact is that they scrapt
with them, holding the blade almost al
4 right angles to the skin, or use then
with straight push of the edge against
the hair. The proper way is to draw
the razor with an easy gliding motor
Is against the hair-so. Use it right, and
Il even if It is not quite first-class razol
q o. IN perfect condition, you can still gel
u pretty satisfactory shave with Il
But, for lack Of doing that, people Gel
thee ueerest notions about their razors-
& actually attribute to them whims and
obstinacies as if they were sentient
+ beings, I know one gentleman WHO
81 afiirms that his best razor, his pet in
town, will not shave him at all in the
+ country. He actually belives that
The fact is, that he is away from his
4 ordinary condition of being and sur.
roundings when in the country, and
unconsciously of course, neither treat.
4 his razor nor uses it as he would at home.
Many men affirm that their rszors refuse
to work we'll on the seacoast, as if The
razor cared where it is used. Three
quarters Of the people who shave them.
selves do not know how to use razor
and consequently are liable to condemn
good one.
A razor is supposed to be better for
rest after it has been used for a GOOD
al. while. And it is. Ny idea about Il Il
that an imperceptible rust gathers on Il
81; IN disuse, and when that is honed and
stropped off its edge is thinner and
sharper than before. But you will moi
@ Snfrequently hear q barber speak of q
razor as being tired and needing rest.
Many men avoid wearing q razor by
constant use by the expedient of having
several and using them in turn. Here
Tor example, is what we term calendar
case, got to meet the requirements Of
gentlemen who take that sensible view,
OF their razors. Itcontains, as Won will
observe, seven fine razors, lettered m
the backs for the days of the waek
Such cases are sold at various pr;cea
ell the way up from 81 to $40. WIN
90 cal 1t a sensible view?' Because.
naturally, seven razors, by such chang.
ing round, will each do but one-seventb
OF what would be required of one razor
N constant use, and consequently the
evil day ofregrinding is put seven times
further away. Some men have great
number OF razors, and keep adding To
their collection all the time. Joe la.
ferson, the actor, buys at least a dozen
Is Per annum from big cutlery house On
Nassau street alone, and I know he al s
buys elsewhere. should imagine tLat
he must have trunk full of razors Il
he does not loose them or give them
= away all the time. ''A'
4 good razor is worth from Al IN 10
ss w bnt there are cheap kinds sold
slow = - . dozen. Those are the the
gnsrally employed in Thompson
Sl q q sti6sn up weak poker hands
" q! people who don't carry
1 3 &. - are an infinite number
b g gof raxors. Some liIa
{: 4 4 0 a! = "a; others, . small.
li r. Il "a despiy coneaTei i
- lsstr 40 least
3ossss the