The disposable razor blade is believed to have been invented by King Camp Gillette in 1901. Right from the age of 16, he wanted to invent something that could make him rich. So he began working as a travelling salesman and tried his hand at inventions that could help improvise the products that he often sold.
At 40, just as he was getting ready for work one day, King came up with an idea of inventing a razor that did not require sharpening as he was irritated with his straight edge razor that was dull and blunt.
This was when the idea of disposable razor blades, where the blades would be sharpened by the manufacturer only to be disposed when it became blunt, came into existence. He consulted the metallurgists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). On receiving a negative reply, he consulted William Emery Nickerson, who himself was educated at MIT, to help him perfect the invention and manufacture a safety razor which had disposable blades.
Today the safety razor is manufactured by a number of top companies such as Gillette, Derby, Astra, Big Ben, Racer and Feather and others. The blades for these safety razors can be purchased at nominal rates. Owning to the intense competition and the continuous development in these products, manufacturers have come up with safety razors that use double edged blades for a better shaving experience.
