Judge, 1919-09-13 · page 27 of 36
Judge — September 13, 1919 — page 27: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a full-page advertisement for Genco Razors from September 13, 1919—not a political cartoon. The upper illustration depicts barbers using various modern conveniences (electricity, hot water, compressed air) in their shops, contrasting with the text's point: despite adopting all these improvements, barbers still rely on the same traditional razor type. The ad's central claim is that Genco Razors are specifically engineered to be stropped (sharpened on a leather strop) easily by anyone—a key selling point. The design details (broad back, concave blade, beveled edge) are presented as scientifically superior for proper stropping angle. This reflects early-20th-century consumer culture: positioning a product as both tradition-honoring (barbers trust this type) and modern (scientifically designed). The recurring guarantee ("*Genco Razors must make good or we will*") emphasizes brand confidence and consumer assurance.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
September 13, 1919 os™ \sTROP Lave you ever stropped a blade scieatif- cally designed to strop —a blade made with a broad, firm back, bollow ground, aad swelling into a slight bulge to give back-bone to the edge? This blade can be stropped by you as easily as by your barber. The blade meets the strop at just the cor- tect angle to assure « perfect shaving edge. Barbers and Improvements Barbers have always been quick to take advantage of all improvements—open plumbing, hot-water heaters, electricity for facial massage, and compressed air for drying hair. And yet every barber still shaves with one type of ‘razor—the GENcO type of razor. Professionals know. Two hundred thousand barbers realize that for ono good shave, any blade ought to be stropped. Anybody Can Strop a GENCO Razor The Genco is built to strop. It has a broad back; its blade is concave ground; it is ground with a slight bevel immediately behind the edge. These three features cause the blade to meet the strop at precisely the correct angle. Its business- like shaving edge can be renewed with a few easy strokes, Call on your dealer and inspect Genco Razors. Each one is hand-forged and hand- ground by master cutlers, of special, high- grade steel. This guarantee goes with each one: ‘‘ Genco Razors must make good or we will” If your dealer happens to be without Genco Razors, we wi!l supply you GENEVA CUTLERY CORPORATION. 48 Gates Avenue, Geneva, N. Y Largest Exclusive Manufacturers of High-Grade Razors in the World p Pat OM,