The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-23
RAZOR LORE.

Facts and Hints for Men Who Shave
themselves and Other People.
Strop a razor little aud often.
Strop it before putting it away after
shaving. This will keep the blade from
rusting and will Civ the PARTICLES OF
steel composing the saw-like edge an OPP
portunity to rearrauge or compose Them
selves before the razor is again needed.
There never lived a barber VINO did MOI
think that he knew more about razors
than the most experienced cutler III the
world.
An English razor grinder remarked re-
Gently that there was only one perfect
blade in a hundred. and only one In a
dozen fit to, shave twiee with. He said
also thai only one barber i'll a dozen knew
now to care for a razor properly and
could be trusted TO hone a blade.
A manufactures of razors Will always
tell You that there are 10 good razors
except those bearing his brand, and that
his are ALI good.
An English razor grinder Rriuds cross
wise with the blade, aud uses an extreme
~ small stone on coucaVe WORK Inc
German grinder uses a large stone and
griDds the blade lengthwise. following
the blade upon the edge Of me stone
One plan produces as many bad razors as
the other.
There is d good deal of nonsense about
the manufacture, sale ami use OF the
razor. The way to get a good one is TO
buy a dozen or. if necessary. W dozen OF
the cheapest kind aud trust to luck. II
YOU get q good one it will be worth all
the lost cost, and you can give the others
to your friends. The best razor in the
world, so far as cost goes, Is a poor pre-
sent to give to u friend. There is not one
chance 10 q thousand of it being appre-
ciated, aver though the temper CT the
blate was perfect.
BARRIERS invest the razor with a great
deal of mystery, n generally they re-
fuse to believe that any ordinary mortal
who is not a barber can possibly know
how to sharpen or take care of a razor.
And yet 1t makes q thorough cutler laugh
to see the average barber strop his razor.
The barber believes in long and violent
stropping. The cutler says:-"Keep the
blade flat and give it two or three strokes
on zach side, drawing it from heel to
point and turning accurately upon the
back. Use a fat strop, or keep q good
tension upon the handle II you use q
hanging strop."
dip your razor in boiling water occa-
stonally" is a rule given by a famous
English maker many years ago. the
heat makes the fine teeth Of the razor
edge bristle in every direction, and seems
to impart new life TO n razor which has
n0COulc ldLys UCCta COutldhSo StAottpAaS
has laid the edge too regularly. Under
the microscope the razor edge is a fine
saw.
DON'T judge a razor by the handle, but
If you must have a fancy handle, secure a
good razor first and then ave the handle
attached.
The razor never becomes too aged so
LONG as there is enough or the blade to
shave with. A barber in this city has
four razorsi in constant use, the youngest
of which was purchased oy his grand
father in 1889. The others are from ten
TO fifty years older. Each has been
ground lightly several times withou in
jury.
Sometimes an Indifferent razor can be
improved by grinding. This is likely to
be the case when the blade is extremely
hard. A soft razor uever improves, and
it is much cheaper to throw it away than
TO waste time on it.
Some razor makers hints about shay
ing are:-Learn to use both hands
equally we'll" .'Don't shave always in
tins same direction" "Get accustomed
to cold water" ''Stand where the light
will fall equally upon both sides of the
face."' .Moisten the soap and rub it
lightly over the face. Then work up the
lather on the face with a moderately stiff
brush. This is better than mixing lather
in II cup and danb;ng it on the face."-
NeDQTk SundGU Call.