This uses narrow blades stored in an injector device with which they are inserted directly into the razor, so that the user never needs to handle the blade. “A second popular single-edge design is the “Injector” razor developed and placed on the market by Schick Razors in the 1920s. This has been called the razor and blades business model, and has become a very common practice for a wide variety of products.” The Injector RazorĬopy of vintage Schick “Type O” Injector raazor Gillette realized that a profit could be made by selling an inexpensive razor with disposable blades. The thick grip of these safety razors can be reused. One reason was that shaving with a safety razor should be safer and more convenient than shaving with a classic straight razor with a sharp blade. “In 1901, the American inventor King Camp Gillette, with the assistance of William Nickerson, submitted a patent of a new variation of safety razor with disposable blades which was patented in 1904. But for the purpose of this article I’m going to concentrate on the two major players. To be sure, other companies had their own razor designs over the years. Gillette was known mainly for the double edge razor and Schick was known mainly for the Injector razor–though both companies had “crossover” products. Here is an overview of the similarities and differences of these razors.īoth double edge and Injector razors have a long and storied history. And the (comparatively) recent addition of razors that take barber “shaper” blades have muddied the waters a little more. The double edge razor and the “Injector” style razor have been competitors for many years.

Schick injector blades