( 495 ' ) 
V. ^ Letter from Mr. Antony Vin Leeuen- 
hock, F. 2^. 5. to Jokn ChamberLiyne, Efy^ 
F. 5^. 6*. Containing his OhfcrVations upon 
the Edge of ^a^^ors^ 3cc. 
S I R. 
I N your lad acceptable Letter dated from WeftmUi^ 
fter the 2d. of I oblerve tliat you deiire me 
to lurri my Speculations, and to give you my Thoughts 
upon feveral Appearances relating to a Razor ^ particu- 
larly to fay fomething concerning its Edge and Sharp- 
nefs, which in a good Razor is fo fine and fo nice, 
that’ it is fubj^Q: to the leaft Change and Alteration in 
the Weather 5 and particularly that Cold has fuch an 
Influence upon it, as to fpoil and blunt its Edge, 
infomuch that it will hardly cut a. Hair afnnder. 
In anfwer to your faid Letter, 1 muff acquaint yon, 
Sir, that 1 (have my felf, and that my Razor, which ! 
always ufe twice a Week, and which I have had above 
Thirty Six Years, was never Ground but twice, and 
yet it cuts very well^ but I fet it fometimes upon an 
Oyi-ftone or Hone, yet not as I obferve fome Barbers 
do, who Broke it above Twenty five Times on one 
fide, and then again ‘as many on the others whereas 
I on the con^ary pafs my Razor once only on one 
fide, and that very gently with the Edge againfl the 
Stone, and then on the other fide in the fame manner ^ 
and fo continue about ten or twelve Times ^ after that 
I pafs the Razor, with the Back of it downwards, upon 
a Leather prepar’d with Tripoly [which the Silver-finiths 
ufe to Polifti or Clean their Plate with.] 
