For shaving mugs, to each his own

Every Victorian barbershop had a rack filled with shaving mugs that belonged to regular customers. And most customers had a personalized mug with a name and often a special picture showing the owner’s job.

Shaving was different in those days. No electric razors — just shaving soap, a brush and a safety razor. Because shaving was difficult and small cuts often got infected, men went to the barber several times a week for a shave. First the barber softened the skin and hair with a hot, wet towel on the face. Then the barber would get the customer’s special shaving mug, rub the soap with a wet brush and lather the customer’s face. Then the barber carefully shaved off the softened beard and soap foam with a straight razor.

The occupations pictured on mugs ranged from policeman or mail-truck driver to dentist, house painter, gymnast, plumber, undertaker or even ambulance driver. Most of the mugs were made in Germany from the 1860s to the 1920s. Unusual examples sell for thousands of dollars. A Red Cross ambulance driver named McNultie would have been surprised to see his mug picturing a horse-drawn ambulance sell for more than $22,000.

Q: I am looking for a vintage or antique dining-room table. Any hints?

A: Yes. We bought a 19th-century table with leaves to make an extra-long table for our dining room. But the table was made so it could be closed and, like most small tables, had an apron. When the table was opened, the apron on the ends bumped the knees of those sitting in some of the chairs.

Try to find a table about 42 inches wide, the size needed for an average room. Check the mechanism for extending the table and sit in a chair with your legs under the table. The table might be low or the chair high. A center pedestal table instead of one with many legs is often a comfortable selection.

Q: My parents have an old walking stick with an ivory handle. When the handle is pulled from the cane, a long sword comes out. I can’t find any information about this kind of cane. Can you help?

A: Canes are popular antiques, and “sword canes” are among the most eagerly sought. A sword cane is a special kind of “gadget cane,” a cane that hides something inside the shaft. If the gadget is a weapon, such as a sword or pistol, the cane is called a “weapon cane.”

Sword canes can be traced back to the 15th century, when they were used by the nobility to protect themselves during pilgrimages. By the 17th century, sword canes became more widely used. They’re still made today, although it’s illegal to sell or carry them in some states.

Single sword canes sold at auctions last year for prices that topped $2,000. Depending on the condition, age and quality of your parents’ cane, it could be worth hundreds of dollars or even more.

Q: I have a lamp that is a statue of a woman under an arbor of leaves. A light bulb is inside each group of leaves. A metal plate on the lamp reads “Fruits Automne par A. Moreau.” History?

A: Auguste Moreau was a French sculptor who worked from 1860 to 1910. He and four other members of his family designed light fixtures, usually based on sculpted figures.

If the base looks as if it would fit on a post, you probably have a newell-post lamp. It was put on the railing post at the bottom of the stairs in grand Victorian houses.

Ralph and Terry Kovel’s column is syndicated by King Features. Write to: Kovels, (Las Vegas Review-Journal), King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.