6247. Paste for Razors

6247.    Paste for Razors. Emery very finely levigated (washed) in the same manner as prepared chalk (see No. 1292 (To make Prepared Chalk)), mixed with lard or tallow, or a mixture of these with neat's-foot oil. Or: equal parts of jewelers' rouge, black lead, and prepared suet.

6248. Pradier's Paste for Razors

6248.     Pradier's Paste for Razors. Best putty powder, 1 ounce; jewelers' rouge, 1 ounce; scales of iron, 1/2 ounce; levigated Turkey stone, 3 ounces; beef suet, l1/2 ounces. Or: Mix equal parts of dried sulphate of iron and salt, and apply a gradually increased heat, in a closed vessel. Pulverize, elutriate (see No, 14), and mix with lard or tallow.

6249. To Strop a Razor

6249.    To Strop a Razor. The practice of pressing on the edge of a razor in stropping soon rounds it; the pressure should be directed to the back, which should never be raised from the strop. If you shave from heel to point of the razor, strop it from point to heel; but if you begin with the point in shaving, then strop it from heel to point. If you only once put away your razor without stropping it, or otherwise perfectly cleaning the edge, you must no longer expect to shave well and easy, the soap and damp so soon rust the fine edge. A piece of soft plate-leather (chamois leather) should always be kept with razors, to wipe them with.

6250. To Sharpen a Razor

6250.    To Sharpen a Razor. The simplest method of sharpening a razor is to put it for half an hour in water to which has been added 1/20 of its weight of muriatic or sulphuric acid, and after a few hours set it on a hone. The acid acts as a whetstone, by corroding the whole surface uniformly, so that nothing further than a smooth polish is necessary.

6251. To Sharpen Edge Tools

6251.    To Sharpen Edge Tools. Proceed as directed in the last receipt.

6252. To Grind Cutlery and Edge Tools

6252.    To Grind Cutlery and Edge Tools. For grinding, the stone should be dipped in water to prevent the heating of the tools ; and careful cutlers use oil for polishing, instead of water, when using grindstones of small diameter.

6253. Caution in Grinding Cutlery

6253.    Caution in Grinding Cutlery. Never follow the example of the street knife-grinder. Ho does much work, and cheap work. He uses as little water as possible. Give him a good razor or a good knife, and he gives it back well sharpened, but a spoiled tool, which needs to be hardened anew. Therefore, when sharpening tools, take large stones with much water, and make slow and good work.

6254. To Sharpen and Set a Saw

6254.    To Sharpen and Set a Saw. First, run a file along the edge of the teeth till you see them range in a direct line; then lay the blade on a smooth piece of lead, or on the end of a trying-plane, and with a square steel punch and a hammer, give a gentle tap on every alternate tooth. Reverse the saw and punch the alternate teeth on the other side, and look down the saw to see that the teeth are all equally set. Then begin with your file at that part of the saw nearest the handle. To sharpen or file the teeth to a good point, hold the file so that it makes an angle with the saw-blade of about 30 degrees, or 2/3 that of a mitre angle. Then file every other tooth to a very sharp point, sharpening only those teeth which are set away from the operator. Turn the saw round, and repeat the operation on the remaining teeth. The file used for sharpening saws should be triangular, and in fine order. A dull file will never make a sharp saw.