48 ART OF SHAVING. 



looking along its edge, has little or no flat part where the 



action of the hone has taken place, and which when drawn 



Cbaraacrofa along the hand appears keen and fmooth. I muft here take 



very fine edge, notice, that the common pradice of cutting the (kin of the 



hand, in order to try a fine edge, is by no means fo delicate 



as that of placing the edge of the razor lightly on the thick 



fkin of the hand, fo as to bear upon a length of about two 



inches, and then drawing it along through about one quarter 



of an inch, without cutting. In this manner the irregularities 



of edge in the iineft furgeon's initruments may be plainly 



felt. 



Art of giving a I will fuppofe the operator to be in pofieflion of a good 



mT tools! CUt " razor ' He is in thc next P Iace t0 lcarn how t0 keep it: in 

 order. The original keennefs of edge will neceifarily go off 



by ufe. It can only be reftored by whetting or grinding it 

 The ftrap. U P a g am « This is ufually done by means of a good ftrap ; in 

 which little inftru&ion is required befides what is common to 

 every operation upon the edge of cutting initruments ; namely, 

 that they muft never be fharpened but when actually dull, and 

 that the operation of (liarpening them is mifehievous if it be 

 carried a moment beyond the time in which the full effect is 

 produced. The act of /trapping produces a fmooth edge ; but 

 chi account of the elafticity of the ftrap this edge becomes 

 round and obtufe in the angle formed by its faces. 

 Whetting upon A razor which has its edge too much rounded to be revived 

 by the ftrap, muft be fharpened upon the hone. We. may 

 confider a hone as compoied of iine fand agglutinated toge- 

 ther, the particles of which cut or rafp away the face of the 

 tool that may be whetted upon it. This face will accordingly- 

 become filled with fcratches, and the edge will be an irregu- 

 lar faw, with notches, fo much the finer as the particles of 

 fand were Smaller, and the prefture of rubbing more light. It 

 is found that the action of a hone is fmoother, if it be left with 

 oil upon the face when put by ; an effect which probably 

 arifes from the oil becoming glutinous, and clogging the cut- 

 PaitTcuIar in- ting points of the fand. The principal inftruclions for whet- 

 ftruftions. ting a razor are> K That it fhould be drawn lightly along the 

 ftone by repeated alternate ftrokes with the edge foremoft J 

 and by no means backwards and forwards, unlefs a confide- 

 rable part be required to be whetted away, which can feldom 

 be the cafe unlefs there be a notch, or manifeft irregularity 



in 



