The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-08-22
vVrTTrOThL RAZoRs.
Men Have Shaved Themselves With
Pens, Nails and Pieces of Tin.

Pens, Nails and Pieces of Tin.
An amusing story has been told
by a convict, lately released from
Parkhurst prison, of how he managed
to have a clean shave every day, to
the astonishment of the governor and
warders, says London Tit-Bits. When
employed In the tinsmith's shop of
the jail he secreted an ordinary steel
pen nib. flattened the nib out, and
put on a double edge equal to the
best OF razors. In the cell he hid the
pen on the wall by covering 1t with
o flattened out piece of soap. which
happened to be of the same curiously
drab color as the wall. and when his
tin Of water came round he reserved
a portion for shaving purposes.
The ingenuity of this man calls
to mind that of some of our soldiers
during the South African war, who,
having lost their razors( resorted to
all sorts of expedients In order TO get
rid of the stubble which covered
their chins. strips of bully-beef
tins, rubbed to an edge on stones,
were the favorite substitutes for raz-
ors, although some of the men had
O preference for bit of glass.
AS a matter of fact. the latter is
excellent for shaving purposes. pro-
vided 1t is used with care and patti
ence. The writer's barber, an old
soldier, demonstrated the capabilities
of q piece of ordinary sheet glass by
shaving himself with 1t in ten min
utcs.
IL otter used such razor in bar
racks" he said, land l might men
tion that In the military prisons glass
razors are very largely used by the
prisoners in lieu of the better arti-
Gle"
Impossible though II may sound,
the writer has also heard of man
shaving himself with nail II was
of the ordinary wire pattern about
one-eighth of an inch in thickness.
With a hammer he flattened 1t out
sufficiently to put an edge on 1t with
a fine file, and added keenness to
his unique razor by rubbing 1t on a
stone. In order to make the Job
complete he then fixed the blade"
in small wooden handle, and de-
clared the implement to be equal to
the costliest razor.
Probably the most curious shaw
ing competition which ever took
place was that conducted at local
hall in the north of London two years
ago. The skill of a certain barber
having been disputed. he offered to
shave ten men with ten penknives
In quicker time than any other tom
sorial artist could perform the same
feat with razors.
The challenge was taken up, and
on the night of the contest ten meii.
each with three days growth of
beard. were arranged down either
side of the platform. Assistants
lathored each man In turn, while
the BARRIERS performed the shaving
operations. The man with the PEN
knife proved so dexterous that he
finished his ten men. with but three
cuts among them. in six and half
minutes, the other man not only
taking half minute longer, but also
cutting five OF his victims.
Apropos, by the by, of the Japanese
dry" shaving process, which is be-
Ing introduced into this country
one Of the virtues of which is that
after three months only one shave n
fortnight is necessary, 1t might be
mentioned that shave which will
last lifetime is procurable by those
who are prepared to pay the price.
1t Is done by the same kind Of
electric needle machine as that which
removes moles and other blemishes
from the face. The openation is O
costly one, the fee asked being usu
ally 100 guineas. and is In addition.
lengthy as we'll as painful. The use
Of the machine entirely destroys the
roots of the hair. 30 that the indi-
vidual who has once submitted to
the process is precluded from ever
Growing a heard again