Exploring the Science of Shaving (Feb, 1957) (Feb, 1957)
Exploring the Science of Shaving WHAT could science possibly
know about your beard that you don’t already know? Surely, your
knowledge of how to shave that beard—gained from long and
painful experience—would be more accurate than any theories
scientists might have on whisker cutting. Or would it? The
chances are, you might find (as we did) that a little study on
the subject of beards, can produce much more comfortable shaves.
It also makes a fine topic for conversation with the boys in the
back room when the poker game lags. There is even, for instance,
a correct technical name for the science of shaving. They call
it pogonotomy, whether it’s done by carving whiskers off with
lather and a blade razor, or chopping them off dry with an
electric razor. We’ll discuss both methods, starting with the
lather-and-slice routine. Let’s suppose, now, that you are ready
to commit pogonotomy early some morning. The job facing you is
to trim off a crop of hairs, each