The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-08
MEN WHO SWAP RAZ0RS.
TRADE OF BARBERs WHO ARE FoND
OF WANDERING.

back OF the end chair In the barber shop as he
started to acrape the beard from the chin OF
tho man In the chair. The customer paused
20 wipe the lather from his mouth with cor
ner OF tho towel before answering and this
preliminary satisfactorily completed he said:
"All right guess"
Undaunted by the apparent disinclinatlon
Of the man In the chair to carry on converse
ton. the barber went on II thought 1t was. for
It's one OF a new lot Just got. II has swatty
edge. nnd for time at least will be better than
tho ordinary run OF raaors.'
BY this time the man In the chair had about
made up his mind that there was so much
talking to be endured. and with view to do
ing something besides listen, he asked: "A
Bwatty edge? What's that. and where did you
Retit
From fellow who was In here a few min
utes before you came in" was the answer.
Hes one Of a class Of men who make their
living by travelling about the country trading
razors. There is always an opportunity 10 pick
up bit OF money In any good-siZsd town
where thsre are half a dozen or more barber
shops. and some OF these tonsorial tourists as
they call themselves, make twice az much
money rs man who puts In twelve hours q
day back Of chair
At that many OF them are clever m on with
razor. and1t put to it could do "a bit OF work
that would compare favorably with that OF any
man in the shop here. Once In while one
will strike town and put In Saturday even
ing back OF q chair. but this In only as last re-
sort. They much prefer their rowing life. and
1t usually pays better than steady Job.
although there Is an element OF uncertainty
about ii.
Most of these tourists have been BARRIERS.
and clever ones at that. But It Ia as Judge OF
razors these tourists excel Their ability to
tell good razor even at a glance 10 something
wonderful
But you don't want to think for q minute that
atourist cares anything about a good razor.
Not in the slightest degree. All he is after Is
the coin. and II he can get it for a poor razor
he's Just as we'll satisfied. Good. lad or in
different as the case may be. no never disposss
OF q razor without getting at least Il small
amount Of money in addition to the razor he
swaps. Il may be ten cents or 1t may be a
quarter. Once in a great while he will manage
10 mako half dollar Oh single transaction.
but that is an exception. He IL perfectly salts
Ned with ten cents. but In no ease will he make
an exchange without something to boot"
Stopping long enough to slap on little
lather whore the soap had become dry and in
cidontally push some into the customers
mouth. the barber was going on to tell more
about tho tourists when he was Interrupted bv
his victim who asked how the tourists man.
aged to get hold of razors to start business
with.
"Oh, that's no great amount OF trouble. LIS
an easy matter for man with dollar or two
to get few old razors to start Off with. and
under his system Of doing business he will
double his stock in trade and have money in
addition In a very short time after beginning
perhaps beg an Old razor or two from some
friend; Th = gives him start. and then it's
are one pretty profitable source OF income for
What's a hook? Why. here" and opening
drawer he drew out handful of rus0rs In
various stages OF usecSsness. You sec they're
M mixed ana apbpsrsn TorH 0 M Tor
nr wo us al & rhas ali
right. but the tourist Is the real wise guy. aud
hooks are his meat. This is especially the case
4 they happen TO he those old: timers OF razors
that were In use say twenty-five or firtv years
ago. At that time there was no lack Of steel
and iron. 3nd it wasn't so necessary to econo-
about twice the amount OF steel in a razor
blade that there is at the present time. and it
one Of these od-tmers, discarded because OF a
nick or something Of that sort. the tourist will
and will have no difficulty in disposing OF it.
Another graft for the tourist is the police nuc-
ton of course YOU know that in every city Of
am.o .E collection Of things that accumulate
OF the most common things left in this manner
and when the date of the police auction is an
nounced there Is sure to be one or more OF the
again the old-time. heavy. broad blaGod razors
are most frequent and man often has chance
ordinary one. BY Keeping track Of the time OF
these police auctions, the foxy tourist cnn man
suring = good supply OF material for his bust
ness ness, Yhifth IS sure to pay him iirst-cass re-
The swatty plays a most lost im lH IT par. in
all the, tourists operations. Without it. he
he would bn com Dnllau n N "a liz
sharpened by some one. thus doing away with
large share OF his profits. What Is swatty7
It's u sort OF composition stone with which an
edge can DO put on razor quickly that would
take twenty minutes or hall an hour,to put on
ing from the use OF swatty is of such a sort
that tho t nersoip buying the razor can te
on some persons lace. He may have the edge
60 to the bad before he has flushed shaving
OF the old timers. the trade may turn Out
Cood one.
tractive to people is that it gives an onpor-
tpnity to go all over the country without stop
Ri nSG for any 1ssgt H., OF time in any one place
and knows nssople in ali o. them Hes never
tiee. lair.sized satchel is al he needs. In
this ne carries his swattystone. his ra2ors and
his clothing. When he starts out to make tho
rounds in n city he leaves the satchel at a
fastened in broad leather strap. which he
can roll up and place in hts pocket. In the
course OF five or six hours he will visit
halt a dozen shons. and in no case
does he leave less than dollar to the good.
II he were to nut in as many hours "a n regu-
lar barber. he would probably make $50 or $40
q week but that same characteristic whcn leads
him to adopt the rowing life makes him disn-
clined to work steadily or regularly. At that
no in never in want. tor. IL hard pushed he can
generally manage to nut IN day as Il bari err,
and Is generally good ono. Then his wan
derinRs have always been more or less adven-
turous and he has something interesting to
talk about. aud az you may have noticed all
tarbers want to talk. man OF this sort will
manage to work custOmers for tins. where the
ordinary barber would tie dead lucky to Induce
him to taio haircut in addition to the shave
he intended to have.
There used to be one chap who came in here
about once IN two or three months and was
one OF the cleverest mon in his line ever met
He carried oven less baggage than the general
run OF tourists his whole outfit consisting OF
ms swatty stone Dair OF razors. n strop and a
Few toict preparations. He would manage to
strike here on a Saturday and wns always in
nara luck, lie was the smoOthest man in every
sense OF the word that over met And no
WAS good man tor the shop, too. for he'd get
a man IN his chair and work him into believing
That he needed shampoo. his hair cut and