Barber's shaving bowl, Algerian, 19th century.

Barber's shaving bowl, copper, circular, made in Algeria, 19th century

This copper bowl, with a typical cut-out neck, was used to collect the blood from shaving cuts. In the 19th century most men visited the barber or shaved periodically at home. Better off customers would have their own personal sets of razors, one for each day of the week. Advances in razor technology in the 20th century, including the introduction of the electric razor, changed shaving habits. Today, the majority of men shave daily in their homes, using a wide variety of equipment.