The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1888-10-20
THE SHAVING TOOL.
Tracing the Origin and Early
Use of the Razor.
The Construction Of the Modern
TonSorial Implement.

Among the earliest mentions of the
razor is that in the Bible by Ezekiel, v,
4: "And thou, son of man, take thee
BARRIERS razor, and cause it to pass
upon thine head and upon thy beard"
Homer, who is supposed to have writ
ten nearly 5000 years ago, alludes to the
generally been made of metal, but Cor
tez found the Mexicans using razors of
Obsidian "a mineral much like native
giass), and the Tahitians use pieces of
shell and sharks teeth ground to very
fine edge. In China and Japan, razors
like the European and American, but
without handles, are used. They are
made of very fac steel.
The manufacture of razors in the
United States is compar atively recent,
but already it bids fair to equal at least
that which has been carried on at Shelf
field, England, for centuries. The ut
most care is taken to obtain fac steel,
but cutters sometimes find the result
uncertain. A razor is supplied to every
soldier and sailor in the British army
and navy at nine cents each.
The division of labor is much used in
producing a razer, the blade having to
go through at least twenty operations.
The list of the principal of these Is as
follows: One, the blade is moulded;
two, forged; three, grouad to take off
the black scales; four, drilled for tho
rivet and stamped with the
makers name; five, hardened and
tempered; six, ground; seven, the
shoulders are ground on dry stone;
eight, the blade, is ground on leaden
wheel, which gives the tue curve to the
surface; nine, the tang and back, are
glazed by leathern glazer; ten,
polished on buff wheel with crocus;
eleven, handled; twelve, set. In tenn
pering razor blades they are heated in
coke or charcoal fire, and dipped into
tho water obliqucly. They are then
laid on their backs upon clear fire,
six or eight together, and they are re-
moved when the edges, which are yet
thick, come down to pale straw color.
The edge of razor consists of q
great number of minute points, com
monty called teeth, which, if the razor
is in itself good andsn good condition,
follow each other through its whole
extent with great order and clearness,
and constitute by their unbrokon regu-
larity an excessive keenness. The
edge acts on the beard not so much by
the direct application of weight or
force as being drawn, even slightly
along it; because by the operation the
fine teeth Of which it consists pass in
quick succession over the same part of
the substance. The best razors will
have the teeth of their edges set almost
as good saw, and the best test in try
ing razor is to examine the edge by
means Of . strong magnifying glass.
This also explains the good effect on
the razor caused by dipping in hot
water, which necessarily clears the
edge of any small clogging substances.
BARRIERS often assert that razors get
tired Of shaving. and that they will per-
form satisfactorily if permitted to rest
for time. 1t will be found by micro
scopic examination that the tired razor,
from long stropping by the same hand
and in the same direction, has the ut-
mate fbres Of its surface or edge all ar
ranged in one direction, like the edge
Of piece of cut velvet; but after
menth's rest these fibres rearrange them
selves hetcrogeneously, crossing each
other and presenting saw-like edge.
each fibre supporting its fellow, and
hence cutting the beard instead of being
forced down fiat without cutting, as
when laii by. = Brooklyn Citizen.
CeylOn Crispins.
IL.