Simplicity is often seen as a goal. And sometimes it can be taken too far, as with Samuel C Yeaton Jr’s simple sheet metal razor patented in 1910. Which is not to say that he described it in simple terms.

To quote from the patent text:

My invention relates particularly to safety razors and comprises a holder for retaining the razor blade adapted for use with a blade having two cutting edges, oppositely disposed, and is constructed to permit the repeated use of the blade as often as it is resharpened. The retaining frame comprises two sides, upon whose outer edges are formed protective combs having the ends folded over forming lips. The four corners of the blade are held in spring pressed engagement between these lips. This always insures accurate and correct positions of the cutting edges upon their respective combs, which is not altered (owing to the spring pressed engagement of the lips) when the razor is reduced in transverse dimension after it has been resharpened.

In short, it’s a springy sheet metal piece that has been bent into the shape of a razor. The blade stops presses against the blade, and holds it in place. There is no top cap, as we know it from a regular three piece razor.

It is worth noting that the razor was clearly meant for blades that was meant to be sharpened and stropped. The ‘normal’ double edged blade – as known in 1910 – would likely not be suitable for use in Samuel’s razor. A modern, thin double edged blade would be too flexible to be usable. But with a blade more suitable for the razor, there is no reason why Samuel’s simple sheet metal razor wouldn’t work as intended.

Of course, Samuel’s razor isn’t the first simple sheet metal design we’ve had a look at. Among others, we’ve looked at Camfield’s simple injector, Parkinson’s folded razor, Greist and Boyler’s inexpensive razor, and Jackson’s one piece razor. And a fair bit more, as you’ll find on my blog.

What makes Samuel’s simple sheet metal razor stand out is that pressure is applied to the edges, as opposed to the flat sides of the blade.

The patent is, naturally, long expired. It won’t work with a modern, flexible double edged blade, but the design should easily be modified to take a stiffer single edged blade like a GEM. The question is why?

You can read the full text of the patent for Samuel’s simple sheet metal razor at Google Patents.

At the turn of the last century, Amos H Jackson patented a one piece razor made from sheet metal. Well, he patented two, but the first one was not quite a one piece razor.

Remember a few years ago when Gillette and the other big multinationals came out with vibrating, plasticy, multiblade horrors cartridge razors? Turns out the idea wasn’t new. Fernan Conill, a Cuban living in New York, patented an electric vibrating horror safety razor back in 1916.