Patent for Safety Razor Issued November 15, 1904

On November 15, 1904, King C. Gillette patented the Gillette safety razor blade. From the article:

"Patent for Safety Razor Issued November 15, 1904 | USPTO

King C. Gillette was born in Fon du Lac, Wis., and while residing in Boston, received patent #775,134 for the disposable safety razor on November 15, 1904. Prior to the disposable razor, shaving was done with a straight-edge razor which had a thick, sharp blade, making it dangerous. The blade also needed continuous sharpening, making it expensive because the blade soon became worn and could no longer be used. Gillette wanted to create a razor blade that would not need sharpening and could be disposed of once it became dull. He invented a razor blade made out of very thin sheet-steel that was placed in a holder to secure the blade for shaving. Once the blade became dull, it was discarded and replaced by a new one, using the same holder.

In 1901, Gillette formed the American Safety Razor Company (soon thereafter renamed for Gillette himself). For the first time, using his portrait and signature on the packaging (trademark registration #0056921), razor blades were sold in multiples, with the razor handle a one-time purchase. The Gillette Safety Razor Company has thrived for 100 years, and over the decades expanded its line to such well-known products as Foamy® shaving cream (trademark registration #1015038), Right Guard® antiperspirant (trademark registration #0692546), and Duracell batteries (trademark registration #0793273). Today, Gillette has over $10 billion in sales, in over 200 countries."