A travel razor usually either have a very tiny handle – like my, admittedly tiny all over, Laurel Ladies Boudoir Razor – or a handle in two parts – like my Merkur 985CL. But James Alex Denby Watt had a different idea. He patented a collapsible, hexagonal razor handle in 1930 – and it worked well enough to be part of a production razor.
Continue readingOr at least a razor invented by Burton Christmas,1 that is. I’ve touched upon it lightly before, but let us have a more in depth look at it.
As I have repeated time and time again, inventions tends to be aimed at solving a problem. And the problem Mr Christmas tried to solve, was the one of razors being too expensive to make good advertisers – even if Mr Unsinger might disagree. To quote the patent:
Continue readingThere are times the title of a patents makes me stop and wonder if I actually read what I thought I read. The patent title of “automatically ignited and extinguished hot water shaving brush” by William G Frazier was definitely one of those times. I had to read it more than twice, if I’m to be honest.
Continue readingA repost from five years ago for the enjoyment of new readers
A lot of modern shave gear can be seen as part of a walled garden; a term most often used around computers that describe a closed platform where a single entity (provider) has control over applications, content, and media, and restricts convenient access to non-approved applications or content.
In the early 30’s, the patent for the Gillette three hole blade was about to expire. This inspired Gillette, Gaisman, and others to come up with blades that could both be used in the old Old Type razors and also a new razor that would not accept the old Gillette blades. As we know now the Probak won, but for a while it was open for everyone to try. And one of the ones who tried was John Holzman.
Continue readingA spooky repost from two years ago.
After coming across a meme on the internet, I recently spend some time tracking down the patent for what I can only think of as the Crime Skeleton. It is a perfect example that the line between genius and insanity is blurry at best. I’m not quite sure which side of that line Helene Adalaide Shelby’s invention falls under, but I am inclined to go for “genius”. And a somewhat spooky and misguided genius at that.
So let’s take a short break from weird shaving patents and look at a plain weird patent.
Continue readingWell, shaving brush with disposable knot, to be precise.
Like so many others – Edward L Corbet, John T Cooney, Marguerite Faučon, and Aron Braunstein & Angel Rattiner to mention just a few – inventors, Gustav Koch searched for a sanitary, hygienic, and disposable shaving brush. If it worked well for making lather, it was a bonus. If it dodn’t need a cup, that would be one less unsanitary item to worry about.
Continue readingSimplicity 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.
On Tuesday we looked at a somewhat portable barber’s chair and stool, from 1865. But the need for a portable barber chair seems to still be with us, because in 2020 Sandra Riley applied for a patent for her Cut and Go Barber Chair.
She is also helpful enough to give a detailed background for why she came up with the invention:
Continue readingImagine that you’re going on a vacation. You have a travel razor to shave with. You probably have a travel brush too. But do you have a folding barber’s chair and stool? No? Then how can you be shaved in style while traveling?
Fear not; Henry Remick have patented a handy, folding chair and stool for barbers (and also dentists and so on). It also came with a telescoping barber pole, because… because why not, I guess.
Continue reading