# 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.

- **Patent:** US 775134
- **Original title:** Razor.
- **Owner:** FED TRUST Co
- **Granted:** 1904
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 11
- **Field:** mechanical, consumer_electronics

## What it does

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.

## 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.

## 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.

## Real-world examples

1. Gillette safety razors
2. Modern double-edge safety razors
3. Disposable cartridge razor systems

## Why it matters

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.

## 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.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/775134/safety-razor-gillette

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US775134

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How Jacob Schick Invented the Modern Magazine-Loading Safety Razor](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1721530/schick-repeating-razor) — A 1929 patent for a safety razor that uses a replaceable blade magazine, allowing users to change blades without touching the sharp edges.
- [How the Modern Disposable Paper Cup Was Invented](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1032557/dixie-cup-disposable-paper-cup) — A 1908 patent for a sanitary, single-use paper cup designed to prevent the spread of germs from shared public drinking vessels.
- [How Gideon Sundback Invented the Modern Zipper](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/1219881/zipper-separable-fastener) — The 1917 patent for the separable fastener that perfected the design of the modern zipper using interlocking teeth on two flexible tapes.
- [How Laszlo Biro Invented the Modern Ballpoint Pen](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2390636/ballpoint-pen-biro) — This 1945 patent describes the original ballpoint pen mechanism that uses a rotating sphere to distribute thick, quick-drying ink onto paper.
- [How Walter Hunt Invented the Modern Safety Pin](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/6281/safety-pin-hunt) — Walter Hunt's 1849 patent for a simple, coiled wire device that keeps sharp points covered while fastening fabric.