Safety razor. History of invention and production

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HISTORY OF TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY, OBJECTS AROUND US
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Safety razor. History of invention and production

The history of technology, technology, objects around us

Directory / The history of technology, technology, objects around us

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A razor is a device that holds a razor blade while shaving. At the same time, for safety, the edges of the blade only protrude slightly from the machine.

The classic razor with a replaceable double-edged blade, invented by Gillette, is still in production and is quite popular due to the low cost of the blade as a result of its standardization, relative simplicity and long service life associated with the ease of complete cleaning of hair residue and moisture.

Machines with interchangeable multi-blade heads have non-uniform mounts for movable or fixed fixation of shaving heads. The heads contain a variable number of blades (from two to five or six) and sometimes a moisturizing strip to soften the hair. The disadvantages of the design include non-standard heads tied to a specific machine, higher cost and laboriousness of cleaning the blades from hair residues and moisture.

Safety razor

We can say that King Kemp Gillette, born in 1855 in the town of Fond du Lac in Wisconsin, inherited a love of invention. His father was a jack of all trades and worked as a patent attorney. King's mother was also an inventor - in the field of cooking: her cookbook, first published in 1887, is still being reprinted.

Safety razor
King Camp Gillett

At 17, King Gillette became a traveling salesman. At the same time, he did not forget about inventions: by 1890, there were already 4 patents in his "portfolio" (although he had no benefit from them). Looking at this, William Painter, inventor of the disposable bottle stopper and founder of Crown Cork & Seal Co, for which King Gillette worked, gave him good advice. "If you want to make a profit by selling a product you have invented, invent something disposable. Then, if the product is successful, satisfied customers will be forced to contact you again and again."

The work of a traveling salesman is associated with constant traveling, and Gillette often had to shave on trains. It was very risky: because of the shaking at the junctions of the rails, a straight razor could easily cut your throat. Gillette used a Star Safety Razor razor, made in the manner of a chopper: the handle was fixed perpendicular to the massive blade. The razor quickly became dull and had to be sharpened frequently.

In 1895, Gillette came up with a simple idea: to use thin steel strips instead of a massive blade, which, if the sharpness was lost, could simply be thrown away.

With this idea, he approached the metallurgists of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and they assured him that it was absolutely impossible. But Gillette did not give up and, together with the engineer William Nickerson (ironically, an MIT graduate), for six years he developed the design of a razor, blades and the technology for their production. Gillette and Nickerson founded the American Safety Razor Company in 1901 and began mass production two years later. Moreover, in order to form a market, at first they even had to sell goods at a price below cost.

Safety razor
Gillette patent from November 15, 1904

In 1904, King Kemp Gillette received a patent for his invention, and the company was renamed the Gillette Safety Razor Company. After that, a strong half of humanity recognized the inventor of the razor not only by name, but also by sight: a portrait of King Gillette was printed on each package with Gillette blades.

Gillette died in 1932 before the introduction of the electric razor.

Author: S.Apresov

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