Over the years, an ever-increasing range of shaving products was created, as well as the first advertisements of men taking care of their beards themselves, without the typical - until then - trip to the barbershop, because actually sitting in the chair of a medical person who also deals with shaving required a lot of courage due to possible accidents that were common.
Interest in maintaining one's beard was growing, and so was the desire for new inventions that would make shaving easier. Thus begins the story of razors that appeared in men's routines in the Victorian era.
New razors
1. Jean Jacques Perret – was the first to promote the idea of safe shaving in 1762 with his invention of the “rasoir à rabot” or beard plane, and that is what it looked like. The razor consisted of a wooden “sleeve” in which a regular metal razor blade was hidden, and because of the wooden sleeve, part of the razor blade could be hidden so that only a thin section remained exposed. This allowed for a safe shave and prevented “accidentally cutting your ear”.
2. William Samuel Henson of Somerset – He filed a patent in 1847, showing his new invention for a detachable razor that was foldable, had a serrated blade and a safety handle, and in its unfolded form – resembled a hoe. From Henson’s idea, in the following years new inventions emerged that revolved around his original idea, with of course a few changes in shape or handle.
3. Monk's Razor – The name comes from the monks who patented the razor itself in 1874, and it was the first L-shaped. It was a simple design, consisting of just one piece of metal that was shaped and used for "light and strong shaving of beards and removing hair or skin from animals". Obviously multifunctional, it was also called a "pig scraper".
4. Star Safety Razor – A hoe-shaped razor with a wedge-shaped blade, engraved with two stars, was invented in 1880. The Kampfe brothers' invention was very popular and was copied many times around the world.
In the 18th century, men didn't wear beards at all and shaved every third or fourth day. Shaving yourself, then as now, required some kind of shaving cream. Charles Woodcock of London promoted his "shaving cream with a light and sweet leather scent."
A typical man's home routine would consist of showering, combing his hair, brushing his teeth, and using a small shaving kit (razor and belt, bristle brush, and soap or shaving cream). Later, after Napoleon's conquests and the Enlightenment, beard culture and going to the barbershop grew again, but there were still individuals who wanted to have a clean face and shave themselves.
As there was no MNLY HAIR GROWTH moisturizing cream & aftershave before , Listerine was promoted (not like today's oral care product) but an antiseptic that men used after shaving to prevent infections and soothe the skin. There was also a "cherry laurel lotion" that served as an aftershave and had ingredients such as cherry and laurel water, distilled water, alcohol and glycerin. At the same time, more and more aftershaves appeared on the market, many of which eventually caused diseases and were eventually discarded with the label "poison". Fortunately, we have come a long way since then!
Luckily we didn't live then: Shaving in the Victorian Era
Beards have been used throughout history as a symbol of masculinity, but in the 1770s beards began to lose popularity due to the advent of the so-called "safety razor," which could clean the face painlessly and safely.
Over the years, an ever-increasing range of shaving products was created, as well as the first advertisements of men taking care of their beards themselves, without the typical - until then - trip to the barbershop, because actually sitting in the chair of a medical person who also deals with shaving required a lot of courage due to possible accidents that were common.
Interest in maintaining one's beard was growing, and so was the desire for new inventions that would make shaving easier. Thus begins the story of razors that appeared in men's routines in the Victorian era.
New razors
1. Jean Jacques Perret – was the first to promote the idea of safe shaving in 1762 with his invention of the “rasoir à rabot” or beard plane, and that is what it looked like. The razor consisted of a wooden “sleeve” in which a regular metal razor blade was hidden, and because of the wooden sleeve, part of the razor blade could be hidden so that only a thin section remained exposed. This allowed for a safe shave and prevented “accidentally cutting your ear”.
2. William Samuel Henson of Somerset – He filed a patent in 1847, showing his new invention for a detachable razor that was foldable, had a serrated blade and a safety handle, and in its unfolded form – resembled a hoe. From Henson’s idea, in the following years new inventions emerged that revolved around his original idea, with of course a few changes in shape or handle.
3. Monk's Razor – The name comes from the monks who patented the razor itself in 1874, and it was the first L-shaped. It was a simple design, consisting of just one piece of metal that was shaped and used for "light and strong shaving of beards and removing hair or skin from animals". Obviously multifunctional, it was also called a "pig scraper".
4. Star Safety Razor – A hoe-shaped razor with a wedge-shaped blade, engraved with two stars, was invented in 1880. The Kampfe brothers' invention was very popular and was copied many times around the world.
In the 18th century, men didn't wear beards at all and shaved every third or fourth day. Shaving yourself, then as now, required some kind of shaving cream. Charles Woodcock of London promoted his "shaving cream with a light and sweet leather scent."
A typical man's home routine would consist of showering, combing his hair, brushing his teeth, and using a small shaving kit (razor and belt, bristle brush, and soap or shaving cream). Later, after Napoleon's conquests and the Enlightenment, beard culture and going to the barbershop grew again, but there were still individuals who wanted to have a clean face and shave themselves.
As there was no MNLY HAIR GROWTH moisturizing cream & aftershave before , Listerine was promoted (not like today's oral care product) but an antiseptic that men used after shaving to prevent infections and soothe the skin. There was also a "cherry laurel lotion" that served as an aftershave and had ingredients such as cherry and laurel water, distilled water, alcohol and glycerin. At the same time, more and more aftershaves appeared on the market, many of which eventually caused diseases and were eventually discarded with the label "poison". Fortunately, we have come a long way since then!