Razor

From Free net encyclopedia

For other uses, see Razor (disambiguation).

A razor is an edge tool (primarily, used in shaving).

1 Early razors
2 Safety razor
3 Disposable blades
4 Electric razor
5 Other razors
6 See also
7 Figurative uses
8 External links

Early razors

In its simplest form, a razor is a blade attached to a handle. Razors have been identified from Bronze Age Britain. These are made of bronze, generally oval in shape with a small tang protruding from one of the short ends.

Straight razors (also called cut-throat razors) with open steel blades were the most common before the 20th century—and, in many countries, until the 1950s. They are now used chiefly by barbers.

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Safety razor

The safety razor was developed in the mid-1800s. Early razor blades needed continuous sharpening, soon becoming worn out, making them expensive. The Kampfe Brothers developed a type of razor along these lines. The safety razor first developed in the United States by the Kampfe Brothers used a forged blade.

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Disposable blades

In 1903, the American inventor King Camp Gillette invented a safety razor with disposable blades. Gillette realized that a profit could be made by selling a safety razor at a reduced price and then making a nice profit margin on the inexpensive disposable blades. This has been called the Razor and blades business model, or a "loss leader". To realize his idea, Gillette founded the American Safety Razor Company on September 28, 1901. The company's name was changed in July 1902 to Gillette Safety Razor Company. Gillette's particular innovation for safety razors with disposable blades (patent US775134) beat out competitors. Gillette's thin blade was covered by the razor, thus protecting the skin against deep cuts. This enabled the majority of people to safely shave themselves for the first time. Prior to this, shaving was often only done by family members or barbers.

Plastic disposable razors and razors with replaceable disposable blade attachments, often with two or three cutting edges (but sometimes with four and as of recently, five cutting edges), are in common use today.

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Electric razor

Image:Electric razor.jpg Image:Old electric shaver.jpg The electric razor (also known as the electric dry shaver) is a common electrical shaving device with a rotating or oscillating blade. The electric razor does not require the use of shaving cream, soap, or water. The razor is powered by a small DC motor, and usually has rechargeable batteries, though early ones were powered directly by house current.

It was invented in the 1930s by the American manufacturer Col. Jacob Schick. The Remington Rand Corporation developed the electric razor further, first producing the Remington brand of razor in 1937. Another important inventor was Prof. Alexandre Horowitz, from Philips Laboratories in the Netherlands, who invented the very successful concept of the revolving electric razor. It has a shaving head consisting of cutters that cut off the hair entering the head of the razor at skin level.

Early versions of electric razors were meant to be used on dry skin only. More recent electric razors have been designed which allow for shaving cream and moisture.

Two popular websites devoted to electric razors are:

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Other razors

A single-edge razor blade is manufactured to emulate double-edge disposable shaving blades, for various applications where the blade is required to be hand-held. Unlike double-edge blades, single-edge blades have only one sharp edge, usually having a reinforced back edge with no sharpness at all. In addition, they are often a more rigid steel and much thicker, as well as being less sharp (but with much sharper non-rounded corners). They are used in carpentry for detailed work, sanding, and scraping (in a specialized holder), in mechanical drawing for paper cutting, in plumbing and finish work for grouting and cleaning, and in many other applicattions.

A utility knife is a common tool used in grocery stores and other places. Such a knife generally consists of a simple and cheap holder, typically flat, approximately one inch wide and three to four inches long, and typically made of either metal or plastic. Some use standard razor blades, others specialised double ended blades or snap-off blades. An X-Acto brand knife, a type of utility knife, is smaller and more precise and usually used for arts and crafts.

A potato peeler is a metal blade attached to a metal, plastic or wooden handle that is used for peeling vegetables, usually potatoes.

Razor wire is a mesh of metal strips with sharp edges whose purpose it is to prevent passage by human beings. Furthermore, razor wire is sharper than the barbs of barbed wire.

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