Razor Sharp

I’m always fascinated by the bravery, insights, and determination of inventors. And I’m lucky enough to be part of our problem-solving team here at KHT – thinking, testing, trying, and retrying until we can “get it right” and solve your challenging PIA (Pain in the @%$) Jobs!  Today marks a milestone in the history of another visionary American inventor. Back in 1904, an aspiring businessman named King Camp Gillette patented what he called a “safety razor”, which to this day still bears his name. Born in 1855 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, he grew up in a period of rapid industrialization in America, inspired by his boss at the time who had invented the disposable bottle cap (King sold the cork in the cap). Realizing there was an opportunity to sell a razor handle that could hold a “replaceable blade”, he set out to change the faces of America and eventually throughout the world. Here’s a recap of his story, and some fun facts you may not associate with shaving.  Enjoy, and thanks to Wikipedia, Gillette.com, Google and allure.com for the info.

King Camp Gillette was born on January 5, 1855, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. His family lost much in the Great Chicago fire of 1871, and he became a hard working salesman for the Crown Cork and Seal Company. in the 1890s, Gillette saw bottle caps, with the cork seal he sold, thrown away after the bottle was opened. This made him recognize the value in basing a business on a product that was used a few times, then discarded.

At the time, beards were popular and shaving was a laborious process, requiring men to use straight razors that had to be sharpened regularly on a leather strop (yes, correct spelling, used to remove small burrs on the razor’s edge). Only professionals or skilled individuals could shave easily, making shaving a tedious and often dangerous process.

Gillette imagined a razor that was both sharp and inexpensive, but safe enough for a person to use without specialized skills. His idea was to create a razor with disposable blades, which would eliminate the need for sharpening. (Here at KHT, we do tons of work heat treating blade edges for toughness and sharpness).

In 1901, Gillette partnered with William Nickerson, a machinist from MIT, to refine the design of a razor that held thin, disposable blades. They overcame significant engineering challenges in producing these blades, as it was difficult to create steel thin enough to be disposable but still sharp and durable.

By 1904, they had perfected the design, and Gillette was granted U.S. Patent No. 775,134 on November 15, 1904, for his invention of the safety razor with disposable blades.  Gillette’s safety razor featured a double-edged blade that was clamped between a head and a handle. The idea was revolutionary: it made shaving safer, easier, and more accessible to the average person. (I remember my Grandpa used the old blades).

Safety razors had been developed in the mid-19th century, but still used a forged blade. In the 1870s, the Kampfe Brothers introduced a type of razor along these lines. Gillette improved these earlier safety-razor designs and introduced the high-profit-margin stamped razor blade made from carbon steel sheet. Gillette’s razor retailed for a substantial $5 (equivalent to $170.00 in 2023) – half the average working man’s weekly pay – yet sold by the millions.

The product launched as the Gillette Safety Razor Company, which started with modest sales but quickly grew as more men discovered the convenience of disposable blades.  The safety razor quickly became a hit, with sales rising steadily. By 1908, Gillette had opened manufacturing plants in the United States, Canada, England, France, and Germany. Watch how it’s made! 

Early on, many believed that disposable blades wouldn’t catch on. Competitors and consumers thought the concept of a blade that could be used only once or twice and then discarded seemed wasteful and too expensive. One of the most successful marketing moves for Gillette came during World War I. The U.S. Army supplied Gillette razors to soldiers, helping to spread the product worldwide. This not only boosted sales but also established brand loyalty among returning soldiers. (The company had sold over 70 million razors and 120 million blades by the end of the war).

Gillette’s business success continued to grow throughout the 20th century, as the company adapted to new technologies and continued to innovate. (Today they make over 6 billion a year!!)

Although Gillette was the leading shaving brand for decades, new competitors like Dollar Shave Club disrupted the market in recent years with a subscription-based model that delivered razors directly to consumers.

The famous tagline, “The Best a Man Can Get,” was first used in 1989. This became one of the most iconic advertising slogans in history, focusing on the performance and reliability of their products. 

In his later life he traveled extensively and was universally recognized from his picture on the packets of razor blades. People were surprised that he was a real person rather than just a marketing image. A Gillette company history stated that in non-English speaking countries people would often ask for blades of “the kind with the Man’s Face”.

Despite becoming a successful capitalist, King C. Gillette was an advocate of utopian socialism. He envisioned a world in which industry would be nationalized and people would live in a single massive city powered by Niagara Falls. He even wrote books on the subject, like The Human Drift in 1894, which outlined his ideas for a collectivist society – one group, with only one company for a specific product or service) Unusual for a successful industrialist- Needless to say, it didn’t take hold in America.

Despite founding a multimillion-dollar company, Gillette’s fortune dwindled toward the end of his life due to poor investments and economic downturns. He passed away in 1932 with much less wealth than one might have expected for someone who revolutionized an industry.

Peers in the marketing industry quote him as one of the innovators who revolutionized the freebie marketing ideas. A good example today are low cost printers, fed by high priced ink cartridges. The Gillette Company continues to thrive and sell products under a variety of brand names including Gillette, Braun, Oral-B, and Duracell. In 2005, the Gillette company was sold to Procter & Gamble for US$57 billion. It is now known as Global Blades & Razors, with the Gillette brand, a business unit of Procter & Gamble.