What is a Safety Razor?

A safety razor protects the skin of the user by exposing only the very edge of the razor. It eliminates the possibility of the injury to the user that straight razors caused. The straight razor was used before the safety razors were invented and they required a lot of skill to use properly.

• Carbon steel blades rusted quickly and had to be changed often. Gillette manufactured them until the 1960s. Wilkerson Sword sold stainless steel blades that did not rust and could be reused.  Today most razor blades are made of stainless steel. 


• The twist to open metal razor and the sandwich type metal razor have heads that twist open to put the razor blade into it in order to shave. Safety razors use one blade that shaves close without damaging the top surface of the skin.


• The blade cartridge contains the blade that can be wound forward to expose a new blade. The blade cartridge removed the risk of removing dull blades with a chance of getting cut.


• Gillette introduced twin blade razors in 1971.  The first blade was to pull the hair out, while the second blade cut the hair.


• Bic introduced disposable razors in 1974. The entire razor was thrown out when it went dull.  Gillette followed with disposable razors.


• Triple blades razors were introduced, then the four blade razors and now there are five blade razors that are the latest in the race to get the closest shave.


• Men and women razors are the same except for the color and the length of the handle.