primitive shaving?

[crimescene450]

Does anyone have any idea how native americans, or any indigidous person for that matter, shaved? i wouldnt think that it would be possible to do with an obsidian blade. maybe im wrong? or maybe they didnt shave at all?

i would imagine a beard would get pretty annoying after a while though

[Wise Old Owl]

Yes CLAM SHELLS. nokidding.

[Justin Case]

I dont think they really grow facial hair ? at least thats what I have heard :blushing:

[BENESSE]

I know when the SHTF the first thing I'd want to do is shave my legs.
Seriously though, it's a good question.

[crimescene450]

I know when the SHTF the first thing I'd want to do is shave my legs.
Seriously though, it's a good question.

haha
it was more of a 'just curious' question


Yes CLAM SHELLS. nokidding.

seriously?



after thinking about it, i thought maybe they used fire, on a stick or something. since hair tends to burn away real easy.
and ive seen some (not so mainstream) barber shops use fire to cut hair on tv

[crimescene450]

i guess that answers my question O_o

[your_comforting_company]

an obsidian flake cleaves down to the last molecule. It's sharper than any man made material ever thought of being. It is definately plausible that they used obsidian flakes (or similar flint-rock) for shaving. There is lots of evidence clam shells were sharpened and used, as WOO points out. Many of them had intricate designs carved in them.

[Rick]

CS - Scalpels can have a 7 micron edge. That's incredibly sharp. Flaked stone can have a 3 micron edge. That's incredibly sharper. YCC, as usual, is right on the mark.

[Wise Old Owl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWSTE6WLB0Y

[nell67]

CS - Scalpels can have a 7 micron edge. That's incredibly sharp. Flaked stone can have a 3 micron edge. That's incredibly sharper. YCC, as usual, is right on the mark.

Not sure I would be brave enough to shave my legs with that,maybe one of the QC could get their grubby hands on one and shave their legs with it and post a video????:sneaky2:

[Wise Old Owl]

Nell See post 10 above. Click on the link.

[nell67]

WOO!! I just wanted to see Ken and Crash nick their legs up trying to shave them with obsidian!

[crashdive123]

WOO!! I just wanted to see Ken and Crash nick their legs up trying to shave them with obsidian!

Ask and ye shall receive. I don't have any obsidian on hand, but if somebody sends a chunk :innocent:, I promise to give shaving my leg (notice I said leg, not legs) a try. I will document the results and post pictures in this thread.

[crashdive123]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWSTE6WLB0Y


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWSTE6WLB0Y


Nell See post 10 above. Click on the link.

Wow! Deja vu all over again.

[Rick]

Oh, this is going to be ugly. Just ugly. Can we have Mac and Preach ask for some Divine guidance before you get started?

[crashdive123]

Oh, this is going to be ugly. Just ugly. Can we have Mac and Preach ask for some Divine guidance before you get started?

I'll take any help I can get.:blushing: Now who is going to send that chunk of obsidian? A softball sized piece ought to do.:innocent:

[kyratshooter]

OK, history lesson time. Get rid of the gum, sit up and listen. Take notes, there will be a test.

We have stone razors that date back to 40,000 years. It seems even Neanderthal man was interested in removing hair.

There are gliphs in Egypt showing men and women plucking hair and shaving. It was common in the upper classes along with well groomed beards.

As soon as durable metals were smelted people were making razors from them. There are bronze examples dating 5,000 years in the european region as well as iron dating to 1200 bc.

Romans plucked and shaved hair. A trip to the barber was a daily social requirement for Roman men. Many deals and much politics was the order of the day for the trip. There were also hair removal facilities in the baths.

The first shave was a rite of passage in many societies. Big celibration complete with strippers.

Shaving for women has been an off and on thing. The greek females shaved all body hair, as did the medevil Arab women. It was not a custom for Europena women. But neither was bathing or any other hygine for male or female.

There was a big push for clean shaven women right after the invention of the safty razor due to short, sleveless dresses comming into style in the 1920s. Gellitte made a killing by doubbling the market size for his prodcts. Females being hairless is an American thing and has been slow to spread world wide.

In some places the prostitutes were/are required to shave all their body hair to combat lice (crabs). Many people associated the shaving of the legs and underarms with these requirements for working girls. Some families and religions forbade the practice of females shaving.

Gellette invented the disposable blade and managed to get a contract to supply the military during WW1. That put daly shaving at home, as we know it into popularity. Before that the military did not require shaving but once a week or for parade and shaving was usually a trip to the barber. Most men could shave themselves, but did not like too.

The shaving industry is one of the only businesses were the manufacturers compete with themselves. They will have a product that works perfectly, and bring out a new product that does no better than the old one, and spend billions on advertising the new product.

The truth is that most modern 3-4-5 blade super razors shave no better than the flint blades of 40,000 years ago. Less prone to cutting the user, but no better shave.

One of the characteristics of full blood NA men is sparse body hair. They seldom go bald either. That and shovel shaped incisors and O+ blood type are genetic markers.

Thank you, class is over, have a good day!

[preachtheWORD]

Nice history lesson, ky.

Here's some "divine guidance" for shaving with an obsidian flake ... have a big box of bandaids ready.

[COWBOYSURVIVAL]

I was asked "what happened" athe other day after shaving my "goati" off.
( This is a pretty rare event)

I responded "The cat licked it off".
My friend looked puzzled and asked "what cat?"
I replied "Well I don't have it anymore it choked to death?"
Even more puzzled my friend exclaimed, "What?"
I replied, "Yeah and then I borrowed the neighbors cat? Would you believe it? It choked too!"

Now I have to get a new cat!.....:innocent:

[Ole WV Coot]

If it gets much longer I have been told it will be pulled out one whisker at a time. I don't think that would ever be a problem with a nice sharp blade, I keep the beard trimmed for safety reasons, mine.

[coldlightning]

as a native pre-colombian, i can tell you, my people didn't shave, we plucked every beard hair out.

[hunter63]

Shaving? What shaving? I don't know nothin' 'bout shaving.........beard trimming yes, but shaving no.....
Been working on this for 62 years, used to keep it on the inside, till about 13, but mostly been keeping it on the outside, lately.

[Rick]

I do try to stay shaved. However, it can be difficult in the woods. So, I generally find a large round rock that's slightly flat on one side, drive the whiskers in and bite them off on the inside.

Pluck out every beard hair, huh? Good luck with that. It will just grow right back in.

[BENESSE]

I do try to stay shaved. However, it can be difficult in the woods. So, I generally find a large round rock that's slightly flat on one side, drive the whiskers in and bite them off on the inside.

Pluck out every beard hair, huh? Good luck with that. It will just grow right back in.

Can't beat that for cheap entertainment. It's a win/win.

[oldtrap59]

I have kids in their late 30's that wouldn't know who was there in front of them if I was to shave my beard off. Started this growth 3 days before I got out of the service and still trying to perfect it. :>) Let me see now.Going on 40 years by my reconning. Yes I trim it from time to time. That's one of the rules of the house. Shaving not a problem here.

oldtrap

[Survival Guy 10]

I have kids in their late 30's that wouldn't know who was there in front of them if I was to shave my beard off. Started this growth 3 days before I got out of the service and still trying to perfect it. :>) Let me see now.Going on 40 years by my reconning. Yes I trim it from time to time. That's one of the rules of the house. Shaving not a problem here.

oldtrap

i want a picture

[BushedOut]

I'm just trying to imagine the evolution on shaving... What came first the Gillette Mac3 design or the Mac3 clamshell hmmmm :-)