Thread: Vintage Razor Ads

I was looking for some info on a razor I bought and incidentally found some nice ads from the 1920s and thought I'd share. Maybe everyone could add whatever ads they have here. I find that whenever I buy a razor I want to know as much about it as possible..











After reading these ads it got me wondering if we are overstropping and overhoning these days.. In ShaveOfTheDay I read about people doing 100-150 laps total on linen/leather and honing every month or two, but in these ads they say you shouldn't go more than three-four strokes on leather and rarely more than half a dosen.. And the Shumate ad claims you don't need to hone for years with their razor. What do you guys think?

Well. With a grain of salt, as these are advertisements.
How many advertisements you have seen that say "We have a great product, but our competitors' products are great too. However, similar quality can be had for cheaper".

However, that is quite a steep guarantee that shumate comes with.

Thanks for the post. Interesting read. In regards to over stropping, I don't know if it hurts or if the standards are the same. You may find some of Mark Twain's comments on Brbers and shaves interesting.

'Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it'

Stephen Lea****, Canadian writer and economist (1869-1944)

Apologies, the censors prevent the man's surname from being printed.

Here is one from Brookes & Crookes

Gentlemen,

Thank you for posting these razor ads. They are wonderful. As a general lover of history, with obvious affection for that of the straight razor, I am especially grateful to you for taking the time and sharing these nostalgic glimpses of the straight razor's past.

Regards,
Obie

Man, that Shumate factory with its production then (10000 razors a day) could run out of business all of the contemporary makers in one day's worth of production...
I can now appreciate the scope of straight razor manufacture back in the day.

Originally Posted by Joed

Thanks for the post. Interesting read. In regards to over stropping, I don't know if it hurts or if the standards are the same. You may find some of Mark Twain's comments on Brbers and shaves interesting.

thanks,a couple of those gave me a laugh before returning to work for the PM, hadn't been aware of those comentaries

I was looking at the Elbert Hubbard testimonial in the Shumate ad and I became curious who he was. Here is the wikipedia bio. It's worth a quick read. It gets interesting when it references the Titanic and then the sinking of the Lusitania.

Elbert Hubbard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Great Post! Thanks. Advertising could be a database of its own, or tied to the razor database perhaps?