Chapter I: Preface

The following work, which is the result of much anxious study and labour, is designed to meet a long-felt want. It is intended chiefly for the use of apprentices, improvers, and others in the trade whose knowledge of board-work is deficient. The Author trusts that the efforts he has thus made to disseminate sound and useful information will be appreciated by those for whom the book is intended. The greater portion of the matter has been already published in _The Hairdressers’ Chronicle_, but for the purposes of this work it has been carefully collated, revised, and additions made, so that the subject might be presented to the trade in a complete form. Nothing of importance to learners has been omitted, and the Author has dwelt, with repeated emphasis, upon items which might be considered by some, as minor details; but every skilled workman knows how necessary it is for pupils to be well grounded in the rudiments of their art.

It may be taken for granted that he who habitually pays attention to small matters in connection with his business, will be the one most depended upon by his employer. But the advantage to be derived from such a course of action does not end here, for should he embark in trade, the careful and painstaking man is more likely to meet with a lasting success. “Anything worth doing, is worth doing well,” cannot be too deeply impressed upon the mind, and those who studiously regard the maxim will take a pride in all they undertake. Undue haste in production must needs make careless workmen, and, perhaps, excessively keen competition lies at the bottom of all. The Author has reason to know that a fair percentage of the public does not object to giving a reasonable price for a good article, and it is worth while to cultivate such a class of customers. The tradesman, however, must first acquire ability in his special walk in life; no effort should be spared to secure the confidence of his patrons by upright dealing: thus it is that reputations are made and sustained. The public experiences no difficulty in procuring _cheap_ articles; those which are good in quality and reasonable in price may not be so easily obtainable. All through this work, the Author has strenuously urged the reader to produce superior work as a tradesman, and to practise fair dealing as a man, and if these principles be acted upon, the student, for whose benefit this treatise is designed, cannot fail to profit by this endeavour to serve him.

When the present phases of business, and the keenness of competition are borne in mind, the importance of every person acquiring knowledge in his craft will at once be appreciated. In no sense more forcibly than this does the truth of the adage apply, that “Knowledge is power.”

_August, 1887._

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

PAGE

Introduction—A Scientific Description of Hair—Chinese and Japanese
Hair—Chiffonier Hair—Waste Hair—Turned Hair—Combings—Best
Quality Hair—The Hair Market in Brittany—Dr. Lindemann’s
Gregarine—The “Chignon Fungus”—Cuttings 1

CHAPTER II.

The Implements Used in Preparing Hair—The Preparation of Hair
Described—Washing the Hair—Drying the Hair—Drawing the
Hair—Nitting the Hair—Carding the Hair—Curling the Hair—Boiling
and Baking the Hair 18

CHAPTER III.

The Preparation of Hair (_continued_)—Crop Hair—A Remarkable
Trial—Craping and Crimping the Hair—Inserted Stems—Boiling and
Baking _Crêped_ Hair—Combings and Turned Hair alluded to again 29

CHAPTER IV.

Dyeing the Hair—Of Hair-dyes generally—Powder Dyes—Liquid
Dyes—Iron Dyes—Lead Dyes—Various opinions concerning the use of
Lead Dyes—Silver Dyes—Dyeing False and Faded Hair—Bleaching and
Blanching Hair 42

CHAPTER V.

The First Lesson in Wig-making, Weaving the Hair—“Once In,” Close
or Ringlet Weft—“Twice In,” or Front Weft—“Thrice In,” Crop, or
Wig Weft—“Fly” Weft, for Top Rows—Making Ringlet
Bunches—Tufts—Curls on Combs—Alexandra Curls 57

CHAPTER VI.

Making Twists, “Tails,” or Switches—Back and Side Plaits—Chignon
_Universel_—The Zephyr Coiffure—Semi-waved Curled Chignon—A
Novel Chignon—Of Chignons in general 73

CHAPTER VII.

Scalpettes and Fringes; general remarks thereon—Curled and Waved
Fringes—“Water Waves”—Mounting and Making Scalpettes 97

CHAPTER VIII.

The Changeability of Fashion—Bandeaux, Fronts, and Fillets—Plain
Bandeaux—Waved Bandeaux, with Fringe—To Wave the Hair of
Bandeaux—French (woven) Fronts—French (woven) Fronts with
Parting—Diamond-shaped and Wing Fronts—Temple-mounted
Fronts—Fillets or Cauls 115

CHAPTER IX.

General Observations on the Manufacture of Partings and
Crowns—Non-transparent Partings; Silk and Skin—Transparent
Partings; Net, Gauze, Yak, and Human Hair Foundations—“The
Genealogy of Implantation”—Knotting, and some remarks
thereon—Single Knotting—Double Knotting 143

CHAPTER X.

Of Wigs in General, and some Historical remarks thereon—On Taking
an Order for a Wig or Scalp—Means adopted for securing them to
the Head—Directions for Measurement—On Mounting and Making a
Scalp—“Pen-knife” and Metallic Springs—A Scalp described with
Parting and Crown—Scalps with Gauze, Net, and Human Hair
Foundations 157

CHAPTER XI.

Of Gentlemen’s Wigs, and a few additional observations thereon—To
make a strong and durable Wig with woven Hair
throughout—Mounting a Wig—The Metallic Spring again—Various
kinds of Net used—Caution against using too much Hair—Sewing on
the Weft—The Crown made with Weft—The Parting formed with
Weft—Pressing the Work—Of Elastic Springs—The Wig completed 181

CHAPTER XII.

Of Gentlemen’s Wigs (_continued_)—Difference between Woven and
Knotted Wigs considered—Instructions for Making a Knotted Wig—Of
the Parting and Crown—Of the Crown only—Pressing, Dressing,
etc.—A Superior kind of Wig Described, and Making the same—The
Transparent Parting and Crown—Sundry Important Details 195

CHAPTER XIII.

Of Ladies’ Wigs, and important remarks thereon—Of Mounting and
Making Ladies’ Wigs—A well-balanced Wig essential—A Wig with
Parting and Straight Hair throughout—All Weft to be
concealed—Alterations—Of Wigs with Transparent Partings—Mounting
and Making the same—Shape of Head to be noted, together with any
Elevations or Depressions—The Wig-block should be a correct
Model of the Head 209

CHAPTER XIV.

The Use of Leather Rollers in Curling Hair—Papering and Pinching
Hair with the same object in view—Plaiting Hair (for
Coiffures)—Of Razors, Razor Setting, and Razor
Strops—Miscellaneous Recipes 220

ILLUSTRATIONS.

The four pages of illustrations are supplied for the purpose of giving the learner some designs to work from, and, as fashions repeatedly change, the ability to make up sundry pieces of work is necessary and unquestionably useful.

A brief description of the illustrations will be found at the foot of each page.

BOARD-WORK, OR THE ART OF WIG-MAKING, ETC.