Submitted by Tom Chandel on

At an earlier thread - which seems to have disappeared (probably for liability reasons - don't try this at home!) someone suggested a civil war "after shave" of parts equal witch hazel and rubbing alcohol. I mixed that up in an old medicine bottle, corked it and put a handwritten paper label on it.

I am proud to report that after some weeks of practice, and several ounces of blood shed (Yankee blood, to cheer up you rebs) I was able to complete a barely passable shave.

To top off my successful endeavor, I splashed the alcohol/witch hazel mixture on my oozing wounds... and in the immortal words of Howard Dean:

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Actually it wasn't THAT bad.)

:-)

Now, for my next project - "civil war laundry".

I have some lye soap, and just ordered a wooden washboard (that I paid too much for) and I am asking around for some large wooden buckets. Based on what little info about laundry of the period I was able to find, my plan is to put the clothes to be washed in hot water in the buckets, stir them with a stick, then kneed them with the soap on the washboard. Wring them out as well as possible and rinse them in a bucket of clear water and then hang them to dry. I suppose if this was in camp I would hang them over the dog tent.

Anyway, how do you think I am doing here? Comments or suggestions?

Forums: 

This wooden washboard is it

This wooden washboard is it all wood? doesnt have the tin scrub plate in it? as you can get one at your local mom and pop hardware store or farmers union Id look around there for the buckets as well.. if you go to some kind of sutler a wooden bucket will cost nearly $100, Id find one of those copper boilers or a tin wash tub...Problem is most of it is galvanized...but someone must have a technique to "authenticate" the tubs
Support your local Farmers Union! they still sell stuff from the 19th Century....
Seamus

".....and with a prick upon my thumb, something wicked this way comes..."
MacBeth

PRIMA NOCTA

Washboards and buckets....

I do have a washboard with the tin insert - but I thought an all-wood one would be more authentic for the period.

As far as buckets, I was wondering if I could start with one of those half-barrel planters, but they will not hold water so it would require some work. I have a photo of some civil war soldiers doing laundry - there is a large wooden washtub held together by rope.

invigorating, isn't it

Tom,
I'm the "somebody" who gave you the recipe for the aftershave. In all honesty I use it whenever I shave with the straight razor and don't find it that bad. I actually started out with a lower percentage of alcohol but found it didn't stop the "after shave itch" effectively. I personally have never had a problem with any bleeding from shaving so maybe thats where the extra "oomph" came from...at any rate I still stand by the mixture...then again I stand by the use of mercury too :)

Keep taking your blue mass!!
Asst. Surg. SD Scroggins

Keep taking your blue mass!! Asst. Surg. SD Scroggins

Mmmmmmmmmmm

Mmmmmmmmmmm mercury....DOH!
If you start looking at pictures of soldiers it often betrays a certain amount of info or misinfromation depending who you talk to, and how it relates to the reenacting expeirence...ive seen a lot of tall boots on soldiers who were not cav. ive seen knives of all descriptions some outrageous others more like the tool of a soldier, a knife used to cut his salt port or other such ration. ive seen weapons and bayonets that we never use and ive seen civilians looking like they came from the steryotypical Hatfield and mccoy pipe smoking woman world....we have to remember also this was really wellinto the industrial age more machine tools employed so to find a scrubbord with tin wouldnt be out of the ordinary....
Seamus

".....and with a prick upon my thumb, something wicked this way comes..."
MacBeth

PRIMA NOCTA

Surprisingly refreshing....

Actually I found the after shave mixture fairly bracing and refreshing, the witch hazel makes a very nice skin treatment.

This does get easier the more I do it, and I am actually looking forward to it every day now.

I am working on getting a good edge on the blade, I have some fine hones and a strop, and I think I am also developing the skill of putting a better edge on the blade, which makes shaving easier.

For laundry, I may try a copper basin if I can find an good inexpensive one.

Bast ive found is a copper

Bast ive found is a copper boiler in a Heartland America catalog for around $60...other than that its off to the antique stores.
I perfer the feel and smell of bay rum... and it makes a good hair tonic as well...mixed with a little aloe gel....
But normaly im a Dapper Dan man.....
Seamus
(a geographical oddity)

".....and with a prick upon my thumb, something wicked this way comes..."
MacBeth

PRIMA NOCTA

Where?

Where do you manage to find bay rum? The only bay rum I've been able to find is at Bridgeham & Cook (Freeport) and was around $50 a bottle. I'dwear it as well if I could find it at a reasonable price. Oh, and we don't have Dapper Dan, we have Fop...

Keep taking your blue mass!!
Asst. Surg. SD Scroggins

Keep taking your blue mass!! Asst. Surg. SD Scroggins

Ya know...

...you just can't get some DapperDan anymore...

2nd Lt Eric R. Reeder
United States Army
Corps of Topographic Engineers
"Hawks and Eagles fly like Doves"

2nd Lt Eric R. Reeder United States Army Corps of Topographic Engineers "Hawks and Eagles fly like Doves"

this is gonna sound strange

this is gonna sound strange but after all its Maine,
I now get my bay rum from a fly fishing shop in Fairfield, I used to get something calling itself Bay rum at the local Phamacy but they stopped carrying it. the Name of the Shop is Fly Fishing ONly its right on the way up 201 to hinkley on the right heading north right on the banks of the Kennebec, its got a log cabin exterior...Marc probally drives by it every day.... heres the real kicker..
$10 a bottle for Jamaca bay rum.
Seamus

".....and with a prick upon my thumb, something wicked this way comes..."
MacBeth

PRIMA NOCTA

Bay Rhum

Seamus,

There is a common mail order catalogue "The Vermont General Store" which you can buy old fashion gentleman's toiletries including Bay Rhum, shaving soap, etc. Lye soap does not clean the skin it removes the layers on which the dirt is affixed.

"Never Apologize, It's a sign of weakness!
Cpt. Nathan Brittles

Pvt. Steve Henry
Co. A, 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry
"Bath City Greys

illegitimi non carborundum Pvt. Steve Henry Co. A, 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry "Bath City Greys"

Wash board

Tom,
You scrub the clothing up and down on the ridges of the washboard. The wringing needs to happen AFTER the clothes have been rinsed. Some cloth cannot take wringing, so drip dry seems best

"Never Apologize, It's a sign of weakness!
Cpt. Nathan Brittles

Pvt. Steve Henry
Co. A, 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry
"Bath City Greys

illegitimi non carborundum Pvt. Steve Henry Co. A, 3rd Maine Volunteer Infantry "Bath City Greys"

Ladies love a man with clean laundry!

I have the washboard, so it will be something I will try to do the next couple of weeks, I'll use a plastic bucket if I can't get a wooden or copper one.

I ordered the "Lucky Tiger" bay rum referenced above - it came today. Smells like a barber shop. One of the ladies in the office really liked it - I guess women do like the scent.

also...

... they carry Morgan's anti-greying Pomade...
I'm a Dapper Dan man myself, but this is on clearance at $2.99 a jar.

2nd Lt Eric R. Reeder
United States Army
Corps of Topographic Engineers
"Hawks and Eagles fly like Doves"

2nd Lt Eric R. Reeder United States Army Corps of Topographic Engineers "Hawks and Eagles fly like Doves"

Lo and freaking behold!!!

eBAY Item number: 7222020055

2nd Lt Eric R. Reeder
United States Army
Corps of Topographic Engineers
"Hawks and Eagles fly like Doves"

2nd Lt Eric R. Reeder United States Army Corps of Topographic Engineers "Hawks and Eagles fly like Doves"

Ahhh but the bay rum in the

Ahhh but the bay rum in the vermont country store is $17 PLUS shipping and handling you can get the same bay rum at fly fishing only in fairfield for $10 so if you are going to fairfield pick up a bottle or get Marc to buy up some and sell it to the bayrum wanters for $12 say you buy and sell 10 bottles thats $20 dollars profit minus Tax and gas, but even at todays rate thats still a bit of profit..... but im contemplating picking more fiddleheads today and maybe next year sellin them....blueberries too.
Seamus

"SOMEBODY LIGHT THIS MONKEY!"
Homer J. Simpson

PRIMA NOCTA

Top Secret formula for bay Rum......(not)

2-4 cups dried bay leaves
A few sprigs of dried rosemary (optional)
Rum, to cover

Break the dried bay leaves in half. Fill a quart or pint mason jar with as many leaves as will fit to about 3 inches from the top. Add a few sprigs of dried rosemary, if desired. Add enough rum to come a good 2 inches above the leaves. Screw on the cover, and let set for 1 month; strain.

Variation: Add a bit of grated organic orange peel, cloves, and ginger root, as desired.

Shelf life: Indefinite.

Seamus

"SOMEBODY LIGHT THIS MONKEY!"
Homer J. Simpson

PRIMA NOCTA

Bay Rum and clean laundry

I guess not all stuff that says it is "Bay Rum" is just that. I have picked up a couple of different ones and they each smell very different.

I am shaving every day with the straight razor now, I still manage about one small nick a session, so that is improvement. After working that push razor over my upper lip - trying to get close by going against the grain - I can see why moustaches were so popular.

I did wash a shirt with the lye soap, scrubboard and a plastic bucket, it didn't come out as sparkling white as I expected it too, also, I don't really understand how the kneeding/scrubbing/washing routine works. I'll have to learn those secrets from a washerwoman, I guess.

Also, I have seen more pictures of camp laundry, and the barrel half wrapped in rope seems to be the common implement. I just obtained a wooden bucket, I will see if I can make it watertight. As I understand buckets were soaked in water so they would expand and that would make them watertight.

Laundressessess

Tom,
I believe Cynthia Brown will have her laundress impression set up at the "Musta in Augusta". She'd be a great source of info when it comes to all things laundry. As to wooden buckets I have one that has wax coating the inside where the base fits into the sides. My wooden keg wouldn't hold sand right now, the seams are so open, but after it's been soaked for a couple of weeks it'll be tight enough to hold water with nary a drip (except out of the spigot which is a miserable piece of @%*&!! but I digress)

Keep taking your blue mass!!
Asst. Surg. SD Scroggins

Keep taking your blue mass!! Asst. Surg. SD Scroggins

Thanks. Most pictures of

Thanks.

Most pictures of camp well into the campaign showed clothes drying on the tents.

However, at the early musters I suspect they were more interested in keeping the camps looking in sharp military order, so those more practical practices came about later. I can't think of an early 1861 picture that had clothes drying over tents - at least Union camps. Others may have different information.