How King Gillette Invented the Modern Disposable Safety Razor
King Gillette's 1904 patent for a safety razor with a thin, replaceable, double-edged blade that changed how the world shaves.
Original patent title: “Razor.”
King Gillette's 1904 patent for a safety razor with a thin, replaceable, double-edged blade that changed how the world shaves. Granted to FED TRUST Co in 1904 with 11 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
The patent describes a safety razor design featuring a thin, flexible, double-edged blade held securely between a guard and a handle. By using a clamping mechanism, the device forces the thin metal blade to curve slightly, which provides the necessary rigidity for shaving while keeping the sharp edge at a safe angle against the skin. This design allows the user to dispose of the blade once it becomes dull, rather than needing to sharpen a heavy, permanent straight razor.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover traditional straight razors that require manual honing and stropping.
- Does not cover electric shaving devices or motorized hair-cutting mechanisms.
- Does not cover razors that use a single, thick, non-replaceable blade integrated into the handle.
- Does not cover the chemical composition of the steel used in the blades.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The innovation was realizing that by making the blade extremely thin and flexible, it could be mass-produced cheaply and then 'stiffened' into the correct shape simply by clamping it into the razor head.
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
Gillette safety razors
Modern double-edge safety razors
Disposable cartridge razor systems
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This invention fundamentally shifted the grooming industry from a service-based model, where men visited barbers for shaves, to a consumer-product model. It created the 'razor and blades' business model, where the razor is sold cheaply to lock the customer into buying recurring, proprietary blade replacements.
Filed
December 3, 1901
Granted
November 15, 1904
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
The Gillette Company, now a subsidiary of Procter & Gamble, remains the dominant player in this space. Many boutique manufacturers continue to produce classic safety razors that rely on the fundamental mechanical principles established in this original 1904 patent.
Market impact
This patent triggered a massive shift in consumer behavior and retail strategy. It established the template for the 'razor and blades' business model, which is now a standard strategy in industries ranging from inkjet printers to video game consoles.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
The patent describes a safety razor design featuring a thin, flexible, double-edged blade held securely between a guard and a handle. By using a clamping mechanism, the device forces the thin metal blade to curve slightly, which provides the necessary rigidity for shaving while keeping the sharp edge at a safe angle against the skin. This design allows the user to dispose of the blade once it becomes dull, rather than needing to sharpen a heavy, permanent straight razor.
The clever bit
The innovation was realizing that by making the blade extremely thin and flexible, it could be mass-produced cheaply and then 'stiffened' into the correct shape simply by clamping it into the razor head.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover traditional straight razors that require manual honing and stropping.
- Does not cover electric shaving devices or motorized hair-cutting mechanisms.
- Does not cover razors that use a single, thick, non-replaceable blade integrated into the handle.
- Does not cover the chemical composition of the steel used in the blades.
Patent Journey
From filing to expiry
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
22/40
Moderately cited
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
$4K – $14K
Midpoint $9K · 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
Gillette, K. C. (1904). How King Gillette Invented the Modern Disposable Safety Razor (U.S. Patent No. 775,134). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/775134/safety-razor-gillette
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 King Gillette Invented the Modern Disposable Safety Razor cover?
King Gillette's 1904 patent for a safety razor with a thin, replaceable, double-edged blade that changed how the world shaves.
Who owns patent US 775134?
FED TRUST Co owns this patent, granted in 1904.
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 775134 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 11 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This invention fundamentally shifted the grooming industry from a service-based model, where men visited barbers for shaves, to a consumer-product model. It created the 'razor and blades' business model, where the razor is sold cheaply to lock the customer into buying recurring, proprietary blade replacements.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover traditional straight razors that require manual honing and stropping.
Patent monitoring