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Shaving legs with pumice stones
#1
I heard the story that Romans might have used pumice stones for shaving. I don't know if there are any other references but Ovid refers to it in his book 'the art of love' (Book I Part XIV: Look Presentable).

So today i decided to give it a try! First i tried to shave the stubs from my face but that didn't work and my face turned red. But Ovid references specificly to rubbing the legs with pumice, so thats what i tried next. To my suprise it actually works!

The hairs needs to be atleast a 5mm to 10mm to use this method. You take a coarse piece of pumice, make sure it is wet and wetten it continiously. You rub lightly in a small circular motion. The hairs will start to get caught in the pumice stone. Also the hairs will start to get caught in eachother. After that you can keep on rubbing until you pull the hairs out with the stone. Just like polishing.

Well this is the first time i have shaven my legs! It feels strange but in a nice kind of way Wink .
Good luck and i would love to see your results!

Here is the video. Commentary is in Dutch but it is the same explanation as above.
Video
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#2
Jan, that sounds very painfull. Do the hairs come out root and all, or are they really shaved?
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#3
I have never tried waxing, but my guess is that this is less painfull, it just takes longer.
They come out with root and all.
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#4
Eduard it is with the root and all! It is a bit painfull but i think it is less painfull than waxing. it takes a bit longer though. I also started to hard at the start, later i used a more coarse pumice and rubbed softer, that worked better. Most important is to keep the stone wet Smile
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#5
Maybe after a good hot bathing it would be easyer?
[Image: inaciem-bandeau.png]
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#6
Experimental archaeology... gotta love it.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books
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#7
There's a lovely little copper alloy pumice stone holder from Pompeii on display at the British Museum at the moment.

Personally, happy to be a hairy barbarian but well done for trying.
"Medicus" Matt Bunker

[size=150:1m4mc8o1]WURSTWASSER![/size]
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#8
If I ever decide to shave my legs, I'll consider this method. But I don't think that will be anytime soon, heh.

Cool
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)

Saepe veritas est dura.
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#9
Well, welcome to the world of "waxing"!!! Wink (And by that I mean pulling hairs out by the root)

A word of caution from someone whom fashion dictates should have smoother than smooth legs - if you keep pulling the hairs out by the root, they can grow back even stronger and it becomes quite a trial, I can assure you.

Yes, better if the leg is warm, so holding a cloth soaked in hot water against the target area (the mind boggles!) will make it easier.

Plucking out with tweezers is just as effective.

My preferred method is to use a light olive oil and scrape the hair away with a razor. Works just as well and leaves the skin lovely and soft; no raw red patches!!

No reason you can't use wax anyway, of course; it just gets very hot on the legs and makes them go blotchy...

Smile
Moi Watson

Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, Merlot in one hand, Cigar in the other; body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming "WOO HOO, what a ride!
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#10
Depilation seems to have been quite common at the time. I remember a comment (I forget by whom...Suetonius?) complained about public bath, mentioned the squeals of men as their armpits were plucked. Does anyone know to what degree soldiers practiced this?
The book "Roman Art" by Susan Walker sates that "Men of the Late Republic shaved their beards at the age of 24"
This seems to be at odds with my perception that before Hadrian, beards weren't in vogue, and that hairless men were viewed as beautiful. There is a style of statue known for depicting this, but I forget what it's called.
Sven Tuonela
Axios!
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#11
Quote:Well, welcome to the world of "waxing"!!! Wink (And by that I mean pulling hairs out by the root)

A word of caution from someone whom fashion dictates should have smoother than smooth legs - if you keep pulling the hairs out by the root, they can grow back even stronger and it becomes quite a trial, I can assure you.
Huh, Ive always heard that if you pluck the same hair enough times it will destroy the root and it will never grow back.
Sarah Hagan
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#12
The Romans also used goose-grease and a razor. The razor was often of bronze, which can take a very fine edge, though it has to be re-sharpened frequently.
Martin

Fac me cocleario vomere!
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#13
Quote:Depilation seems to have been quite common at the time. I remember a comment (I forget by whom...Suetonius?) complained about public bath, mentioned the squeals of men as their armpits were plucked. Does anyone know to what degree soldiers practiced this?
The book "Roman Art" by Susan Walker sates that "Men of the Late Republic shaved their beards at the age of 24"
This seems to be at odds with my perception that before Hadrian, beards weren't in vogue, and that hairless men were viewed as beautiful. There is a style of statue known for depicting this, but I forget what it's called.

During the Roman Republic, a man's first shave was often conducted during the time period when an individual donned the toga virilis, the toga of manhood, though the two weren't always linked. For some reason, probably ceremonial, some upper class individuals like Octavianus and Caligula waited all their way to their early to almost mid 20s before shaving for the first time, which was done in a festival they paid for. Octavianus definitely donned the toga virilis earlier than 24/25, as he was already an elected Consul (at 20 years old), been married twice and had a child.

The rest of the Roman adult males at that time period were generally shaven, though that doesn't mean daily.

Lacus Curtius article on Roman Facial Hair
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#14
Quote:
Vindex post=336959 Wrote:Well, welcome to the world of "waxing"!!! Wink (And by that I mean pulling hairs out by the root)

A word of caution from someone whom fashion dictates should have smoother than smooth legs - if you keep pulling the hairs out by the root, they can grow back even stronger and it becomes quite a trial, I can assure you.
Huh, Ive always heard that if you pluck the same hair enough times it will destroy the root and it will never grow back.
Yeah. It is a myth that shaved and plucked hair grows back more thickly or stronger. When you think about it, it makes sense. How can hair grow back more thickly when the number of folicles remains unchanged? Shaving doesn't do anything but continual plucking will eventually damage the folicle and prevent the hair from regrowing.
Author: Bronze Age Military Equipment, Pen & Sword Books
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#15
Bronze razors are not really found in archeological record, but bronze handles are abundant. The Romans had excellent ironworking, so why go for bronze blades in the first place? Typical about the razor is the wide surface and a curved (outward, not inward) shape. A thin blade was held by a bronze handhold. My favorites are the griffin headed handles, which held a wide blade. Using a wide blade has the advantage the steel can be layed agains the skin and prevents nicking, as the blade remains flat against the skin.
Salvete et Valete



Nil volentibus arduum





Robert P. Wimmers
www.erfgoedenzo.nl/Diensten/Creatie Big Grin
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