with financial ruin but fame never resulted in personal fortune.
Shaving has always been a rather bizarre ritual. It's not clear who first proposed that men should scrape a sharp piece of metal across their faces, although straight razors did come into common use in England around 1660. By the 1890s, not much had changed: There were crude safety razors, but their blades had to be stropped daily and eventually resharpened by a cutler. Even the most perfectly honed blade typically caused nicks and cuts. Many men, agreeing with the Russian proverb "It is easier to bear a child once a year than to shave every day," spent time and money entrusting the task to their local barbers.
See link for complete article
2003 CNN/Money
Shaving has always been a rather bizarre ritual. It's not clear who first proposed that men should scrape a sharp piece of metal across their faces, although straight razors did come into common use in England around 1660. By the 1890s, not much had changed: There were crude safety razors, but their blades had to be stropped daily and eventually resharpened by a cutler. Even the most perfectly honed blade typically caused nicks and cuts. Many men, agreeing with the Russian proverb "It is easier to bear a child once a year than to shave every day," spent time and money entrusting the task to their local barbers.
See link for complete article
2003 CNN/Money