A glass hone is easily made, and no barber should be without one. Procure a piece of heavy plate glass and have a glass cutter cut it into pieces 3×8 inches in dimensions. Take the gloss off the face and also around the edges on a grindstone, and then finish by rubbing the face of the hone with pumice-stone kept wet with water. Continue this rubbing until the gloss is entirely removed and the hone is smooth. Before honing take a rubber, such as is used on a water hone, and, after wetting hone rub until you have a sort of lather. Hone on this as you would on any other hone. You will find it excellent for smoothing shears after grinding, or a razor after having been over honed.
MUGS, BRUSHES AND SOAPS.
The mug should be large and heavy and the brush used to make the lather should also be large and first-class in every particular. In regard to brushes, I would suggest that it pays to buy the very best.
A poor brush that is continually shedding hairs is very annoying to the customer, and it hinders the barber. I prefer the rubber ferruled brush, but be sure to get the genuine.
In regard to soap I must admit that I am partial to the J. B. Williams barber soap. However, there are other brands that give good satisfaction. There are no soaps too good. Hence get the best.
FACE POWDERS.
There is nothing much better than cake magnesia, but it should only be used to dry the face after shaving. I have given a liquid whiting which is much used by ladies. I have often used it on men to whiten the skin. See whitening for the face.
SHOWER BATH AND SHAMPOO CAN.
Take a common tin bucket which holds three gallons, have a small tube one inch long and one quarter of an inch in diameter put in one side about one half inch from bottom of bucket.
Then get a rubber hose three feet long of suitable diameter to fit on to the tube. At the other extremity of the hose attach a sprinkler with its tubular end made to fit the hose.