Life, 1920-02-12 · page 44 of 44
Life — February 12, 1920 — page 44: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is an **advertisement disguised as a fable**, not political satire. Colgate & Co. uses anthropomorphized shaving tools to promote their product line. **The Setup:** A razor and strop (leather sharpening strap) complain that their master blames *them* for poor shaves when the real problem is inferior soap that doesn't soften the beard properly. **The "Moral":** When the master switches to Colgate's Shaving Stick, his beard becomes soft and his face feels refreshed—suddenly the razor and strop receive praise they deserved all along. **The Satire:** The fable mockingly suggests that not all lathering soaps are equal; cheap soaps fail to deliver results, causing users to wrongly blame their tools. By contrast, Colgate's century of manufacturing experience produces superior soap that makes shaving genuinely pleasant. **Context:** This early 20th-century ad appears in *Life* magazine, treating readers as intelligent enough to appreciate humor while selling them grooming products. The final line offers a trial size for 4 cents in stamps.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Razor Complains to the Strop A Fable by “C's Soap” HE Razor and the Strop were discussing their Master and his choice of Shaving Soap. “He is unfair to us, and to me particularly,” complained the Razor, “because he does not use a soap that is both softening and soothing. When he gets a poor Shave he blames us, saying that between us we do not give me a keen edge.” “That is true” said the Strop. “But what can we do?" “I have hope for the future,replied the Razor. “Today I heard him say that he was going to try the Colgate Shaving Stick, that his brother likes so much.” The next morning Colgate’s Stick softened the Master's beard so thoroughly and left his face so cool and refreshed that he gave great praise to both the Razor and the Strop, and justly complimented the new Shaving Soap. This Fable teaches that all is not Soap which Lathers — and that over a century of experience enables a manufacturer to make a Shaving Soap which helps both razor and strop and makes shaving a pleasure. S | } A tnal size of Colgate’s- Stick, Powder or Cream — sent for 4c. in stamps COLGATE & CO. Dept. R 199 Fulton St.. New York comicbooks.com