Electric Razors

The electric razor is a typical success story of American ingenuity creating a new product, followed by American, German, and Japanese engineering moving in to provide greater and greater innovations.

Army Colonel Jacob Shick developed the plans for an electric razor in the late 1910s. He put his idea on hold at the onset of World War I. During the war, Schick was impressed by the rapid reloading mechanisms for gatling guns, and after the war he used the concept to create the Shick Magazine Repeating Razor. This was a modified safety razor with the head able to pivot at midpoint and align with the handle. A small razor could be pushed from inside the handle and into the head. The head would pivot back to the standard position for a shave.  See this short video, put out by Razor Emporium, to appreciate the genius of this innovation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgZeC6D5HYo

That was enough for Shick to start a company in 1925 to manufacture and market his repeating razor. Two years later, Shick went back to his electric razor concept, and in 1930 obtained a patent for his design.

Shick’s electric razor used reciprocating cutters. He continued to modify his design, and in 1937 sold 1.5 million electric razors. Other companies were taking notice, and by the late 1930s, Remington, Sunbeam, and Braun had entered the market.

Remington introduced a thin, perforated foil to cover the reciprocating cutters that vastly improved the comfort of the shave. The holes were designed to allow whiskers to protrude into the foil and be cut. Remington sold their products under the name Norelco (NORth American ELectric COmpany). The science fiction writer Isaac Asimov tells the story of American manufacturing capability in the 1930s showing off its finesse by sending to Germany the smallest wire America could produce. The Germans sent it back with a hole drilled through it, and their own wire inserted into the hole. That technology is what the German company Braun introduced to the electric razor market with their microfoil, much thinner than what Remington had produced.

In 1939 the Philips’s Company introduced a rotary cutting razor. It used a single rotating head. More innovations began to develop after World War II, including cordless razors and waterproof capability. The Japanese company Panasonic worked with Remington, and developed very good waterproof shavers. This opened the market to wet shaving – using water or other liquids/gels with the shaver for a closer, more comfortable shave. It also helped in cleaning out the stubble after the shave.

Braun introduced a new process in the 1980s that used tiny tweezers to grab and pull out the individual hair by the follicle. This is a process known as epilation, and was created for the women’s market. Epilation is most commonly done by waxing. Braun’s new device was less messy, but it is nonetheless a somewhat painful process.

The choices today for electric razor users are primarily whether to use reciprocating cutters or rotary heads, and whether to shave dry or wet. Wet shavers are designed to be used with batteries only, and are rated at waterproof.

From our perspective as a shaving soap company, we certainly appreciate an electric razor that can be used with our non-foaming shaving lubricant. In fact, for those with exceptionally sensitive skin, the most comfortable close shave you can get is using OPR shaving soap with a wet shave. It is exceptionally comfortable and non-irritating, and gives a satisfactory close shave. And the soap characteristic makes it even easier to clean the razor after the shave. You can find product recommendations here:  https://bestrazorsreviews.com/best-wet-dry-electric-razor/

For a review of foil versus rotary, try this: https://upshavers.com/rotary-vs-foil-shaver/