How can you tell if a Gillette razor is vintage?

They are found in the top left and right corners on the underside of razor guards, both 3 piece and 1 piece models. The letter represents the year, found on the chart below, and the number 1-4 correspond with the quarter of the year.

Who patented the first razor?

King Camp Gillette
King Camp Gillette, from Gillette’s 1894 book The Human Drift. On December 3, 1901, King Camp Gillette filed a patent application that would revolutionize the way men and women shave.

What is the oldest razor brand?

O’Rourke in 1898. Industrial production of electric razor machines started in 1937 by the US company Remington Rand based on the patent of Jacob Schick from 1928.

What was the first disposable razor?

King Camp Gillette (1855-1932) and William Emery Nickerson invented the world’s first disposable razor blade in 1901. Until that time, portable shaving devices consisted of a wedge shaped heavy metal (forged) blade on top of a handle. When dull, the wedge was stropped by hand until it could no longer keep a sharp edge.

What is the oldest Gillette razor?

In 1903, Gillette introduced the world’s first system razor—a two-piece safety razor with a thin, strong, sharp double-edge blade attached to a reusable handle.

How do I check my Gillette expiry date?

Look for a picture of a jar on the back of the product. This is called the PAO—Period After Opening—date. Oblige. If you store products in a dark, cool environment (i.e. not your hot, sweaty bathroom), they will last longer.

Does Gillette have patents?

Gillette’s 1904 patents gave it the power to block entry into the installed base of handles that it would create. While other firms could and did enter the replaceable-blade market with their own handles and blades, no one could produce Gillette-style handles or blades during the life of the patents.

Who invented Gillette razor?

King Camp Gillette, (born January 5, 1855, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, U.S.—died July 9, 1932, Los Angeles, California), American inventor and first manufacturer of a razor with disposable blades.

Was Gillette the first razor?

In 1962, roughly two years after the introduction of the Super Blue blade, Wilkinson Sword introduced the world’s first razor blade made from stainless steel. According to users, the blade stayed sharp about three times longer than the best carbon steel blades – including Gillette’s.

When did Gillette razors start?

1903
In 1901 the American Safety Razor Company, soon renamed the Gillette Safety Razor Company, was formed. Production began in 1903, with Gillette being granted his patent on November 15, 1904. Despite a flood of imitators, the Gillette Company was a success, and King Gillette retired from management in 1913.

How do you date a Gillette razor?

They are found in the top left and right corners on the underside of razor guards, both 3 peice and 1 piece models. The letter represents the year, found on the chart below, and the number 1-4 correspond with the quarter of the year.

How many patents does Gillette have?

2018

gillette company 501
duracell u.s. operations 26
p&g (procter & gamble company) 21
braun 5
eagleton, christopher, raymond 2

Why did King Gillette have two patents on the razor?

As the patents make clear, Gillette had a clear vision of the markets that he would create: “Hence,” stated the patent application, “I am able to produce and sell my blades so […] In 1904, King Gillette — who names their kid King? — received two patents on razors, blades, and the combination of the two.

Why are Gillette razors so expensive?

From 1904 through 1921, Gillette could have played razors-and-blades — low-price or free handles and expensive blades — but didn’t. Instead, Gillette set a high price for its handle and fought to maintain those high prices during the life of the patents.

What happened to Gillette razors-and-blades?

With the expiration of the patents, Gillette no longer had a way to tie the blades to the handles and thus, at least on paper, seemed to have no good way to play razors-and-blades. With the expiration of the patents, other companies could now make cheaper blades for Gillette’s handles, undercutting Gillette’s prices and therefore the strategy.

How much did Gillette knives cost in 1909?

Gillette’s pricing strategy for its replacement blades showed a remarkable stickiness. By 1909, the Gillette list price for a dozen blades was $1 and Gillette maintained that price until 1924, though there clearly was discounting off of list.