How Jacob Schick Invented the Modern Magazine-Loading Safety Razor
A 1929 patent for a safety razor that uses a replaceable blade magazine, allowing users to change blades without touching the sharp edges.
Original patent title: “Shaving implement”
A 1929 patent for a safety razor that uses a replaceable blade magazine, allowing users to change blades without touching the sharp edges. Granted to Individual in 1929 with 2 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes a shaving implement designed to hold a stack of blades in a magazine. The mechanism allows a user to feed a new blade into the shaving head while simultaneously ejecting the old, dull blade. By using a mechanical slide or plunger, the device ensures the blade is properly seated and aligned without the user ever needing to handle the dangerous metal edges directly.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover standard double-edge safety razors that require manual blade assembly.
- Does not cover electric shaving motors or oscillating blade mechanisms.
- Does not cover disposable plastic razors where the entire head is discarded.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation lies in the magazine-fed design, which separates the storage of sharp blades from the act of shaving, effectively turning a hazardous maintenance task into a simple mechanical operation.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Schick Injector razors
Vintage magazine-loading safety razors
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Jacob Schick's invention fundamentally changed personal grooming by introducing the concept of the replaceable blade magazine. This design reduced the risk of cuts and made blade replacement a quick, sanitary process, laying the foundation for the Schick brand's long-term dominance in the shaving market.
Filed
March 31, 1928
Granted
July 23, 1929
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The Schick brand, now owned by Edgewell Personal Care, continues to evolve the legacy of cartridge-based shaving systems. Modern razor manufacturers build upon the safety principles established here by refining how blades are housed and discarded.
Market impact
This patent helped shift the market away from traditional straight razors toward safer, more convenient systems. It established the 'razor and blade' business model, where the initial device is sold to lock the user into a recurring purchase of proprietary blade magazines.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes a shaving implement designed to hold a stack of blades in a magazine. The mechanism allows a user to feed a new blade into the shaving head while simultaneously ejecting the old, dull blade. By using a mechanical slide or plunger, the device ensures the blade is properly seated and aligned without the user ever needing to handle the dangerous metal edges directly.
The clever bit
The innovation lies in the magazine-fed design, which separates the storage of sharp blades from the act of shaving, effectively turning a hazardous maintenance task into a simple mechanical operation.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover standard double-edge safety razors that require manual blade assembly.
- Does not cover electric shaving motors or oscillating blade mechanisms.
- Does not cover disposable plastic razors where the entire head is discarded.
Patent Journey
From filing to expiry
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Limited data
Citation count
10/40
Early citations
Claim breadth
0/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$3K – $9K
Midpoint $5K · expired or expiring · industry ×0.9
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Jacob, S. (1929). How Jacob Schick Invented the Modern Magazine-Loading Safety Razor (U.S. Patent No. 1,721,530). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1721530/schick-repeating-razor
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Jacob Schick Invented the Modern Magazine-Loading Safety Razor cover?
A 1929 patent for a safety razor that uses a replaceable blade magazine, allowing users to change blades without touching the sharp edges.
Who owns patent US 1721530?
Individual owns this patent, granted in 1929.
When does this patent expire?
This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.
What is patent US 1721530 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 2 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Jacob Schick's invention fundamentally changed personal grooming by introducing the concept of the replaceable blade magazine. This design reduced the risk of cuts and made blade replacement a quick, sanitary process, laying the foundation for the Schick brand's long-term dominance in the shaving market.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover standard double-edge safety razors that require manual blade assembly.
Same assignee
More from Individual
Patent monitoring