Life, 1925-06-18 · page 31 of 43
Life — June 18, 1925 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is primarily a **product advertisement**, not political satire. The page promotes two writing instruments: the Eversharp mechanical pencil and the Wahl Pen. The opening section uses humorous exaggeration rather than political commentary. It jokes that Americans were so obsessed with whittling (shaving wood) that this casual activity represented "the stroke of the nation." The satire is mild and commercial: even though mechanical pencils existed, nobody used them until Eversharp appeared, whereupon "20 million whittlers quit whittling." The advertisement emphasizes that Eversharp's rifled tip prevented wobbling—a genuine mechanical innovation presented as revolutionary. The copy positions both products as luxury goods matching personal success, with prices ranging from $1 to $45 (substantial for the era). There are no political figures, caricatures, or social commentary. This is straightforward early-20th-century advertising using gentle humor to sell writing instruments as marks of sophistication.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
+ LIFE - Twenty Million Whittlers Quit Whittling Tes group in front of the country store Models for every need 50¢ 10 $6 Also made tn solid gold This model $5 industriously making big sticks into little ones were actually setting the stroke of the nation. Everybody whittled! Though there were plenty of mechanical pencils—still nobody used them. Then Eversharp was discovered! It was new in principle. The rifled tip ripped the lead at the #ip, like a wood pencil. The lead could not wobble or turn. It there- fore wrote easily and smoothly. 20 million whittlers quit whittling. 20 mil- lion adopted Eversharp. Now the new perfected Eversharp is win- ning a few million more users. Because it is ever sharp. Never clogs. Reloads in a second. It is beautiful and dependable as a fine watch. Commercial Eversharps sell at $1 and less. Gold-filled or sterling models in keeping with the other personal articles of successful men and women—$3 to $6. Other models upto $45. Eversharp is matched by Wahl Pen. Together they constitute the most efficient and effective writing set you can buy. Gold or silver filled [eauna 7M er sterling fh $3 $10 Als made im solid gold This model $8 |) One of the thirty thousand dealers selling Eversharp and Wahl Pen is near you. The ew WAAL EVERSHARP PERFECTED Red Top Leads are the smocthast qual- ity perfect in size and economical, Made in black fy eredede red, Yue, green, yel- low, purple copy- tall dealers. And now the break- proof smooth writing pen me The story of the cracked fountain pen and its broken cap is being told less and less often. Wahl Pea resists the stoutest fist and comes unscathed through a lifetime of carelessness. Te is made of metal, Which is logical. For the pen barrel and cap are a protection for the rubber ink sac and vital pen parts, just as a watch case is guardian of the works. Wahl Pen is gold or silver, which is also according to the watchmaket’s experience. WAHL PEN The thin metal walls of the Wahl Pea barrel are strong as steel and allow space for a much larger ink sac Wahl nibs write with ivory-like smoothness and theie iridium tips cannot be excelled in wearing quality. Wahl Pen is not ooly service: able, but beautiful, as a fine per- sonal article should be. It is made in designs to match Eversharp. Your dealer will help you select a model to suit your hand and preference, Wahl Eversbard aed Want Pen Made in U.S. A. by THE WAHL CO., Chicago Mad» in Canada by THE WAHLCO., Ltd., Toronto Prices same in Canada as U. S. comicbooks.com