There seems to have been a drive – since Gillette first started to sell safety razors – to simplify production and increase the profit margin. I’m convinced that not all ideas got patented, but those which did can make for some fascinating reading.
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In 1930 Gillette’s new blade – the one with the slot – went on sale, and looks almost like the one we use and love today. Almost, but not quite… since today’s blade is the descendant of the blade that originated with the Probak razor. There differences are slight, and the lawsuit, counter-lawsuit, and corporate takeovers were… complicated. In the end Gillette bought AutoStrop (who owned Probak), but the real story on who gained control of who is something I have not dug into too much.
Luckily Glenn Conti over at the Gillette Adjustable Razors site have done just that, writing a wonderfully detailed analysis of the whole thing. Well worth a read.
In the mean time, enjoy the advertisement for the New Gillette Blade that didn’t quite make the cut.
According to a 1951 advertisement; precision.
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