Inventor of the replaceable blade safety razor
Image source. : wikipedia
The prototype of the authentic replaceable-blade safety razor that is widely used around the world today appeared in 1904. King C. Gillette of the United States painstakingly created it and launched it to the public.
The T-type razors of the time were cumbersome, requiring sharpening every time the blade edge became dull, but C. Gillette is said to have conceived of the idea of a prewar razor with disposable replacement blades while shaving one day.
The safety razor invented by C. Gillette at this time was almost a double-edged safety razor, with a thin steel plate sharpened on both sides to make a sharp blade, supported by a holder and a handle in the middle of the fixed plate.
C. Gillette quickly produced a sample using a piece of brass, thin steel tape used for watch springs, a small vise, and a few files, but it was far from practical, and it is said that it took nearly 10 years from then until it was technically perfected.
In particular, there were many problems that needed to be solved, such as how to make a low-cost blade from a thin sheet of steel, the dimensions of the blade and holder, and how to adjust them.
Eventually, William Nickerson, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who developed the elevator push-button system, offered his help to C. Gillette.
In 1901, they established a company called American Safety Leather in Boston, determined the appropriate size, shape, and thickness of the blade, perfected the method of hardening a thin plate of steel, and created the technical basis for today’s safety razors. He also invented a method of adjusting the razor between the blade and holder, and was granted a basic patent in 1904 (Meiji 37), the same year that the double-edged safety razor went on sale.
However, even though the product was launched, it did not catch on in the U.S. at that time because of the preconceived notion that razors had to be strong and long-lasting. It is said that coffee, tea, perfume, knives, and shirt colors were used as prizes to promote sales.
The rapid spread of Gillette’s safety razors was due to the outbreak of World War I (1914-18). The U.S. government ordered 3.5 million Gillette safety razors and 36 million replacement blades as munitions, and they were transported around the world with American soldiers.
Stimulated by this Gillette safety razor, by around 1918 (Taisho 7), 340 different types of safety razors were being produced worldwide, and Gillette, on its pioneer strength, developed into the razor manufacturer with the largest market share in the world.
*Excerpt from “Razor History” by Yasuoki Takeuchi