Electric razors invented
Electric razors, invented by Canadian Jacob Schick in the 1920s, revolutionized personal grooming by introducing a more efficient and convenient shaving option. Schick's innovation relied on the development of a compact electric motor that could effectively cut through facial hair. His first marketable model emerged in 1931, featuring an oscillating induction motor and a sliding cutter design, which garnered significant interest and sales. By the mid-1930s, a variety of companies entered the electric razor market, leading to a proliferation of models and some patent disputes.
Notable early competitors included the Sunbeam Shavemaster and the Remington Close Shaver, while Royal Philips Electronics introduced a groundbreaking rotary cutter design in 1939. As the technology advanced, electric razors became increasingly popular, with over 1.5 million units sold by 1937 alone. Their compact design made them particularly appealing for travel, and they quickly became fixtures in hotels and on transportation, as well as in households. By the late 1930s, electric razors were becoming essential grooming tools for many individuals, reflecting a significant shift in personal care practices.
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Subject Terms
Electric razors invented
Shaving devices powered by electric motors
By the late 1930’s, electric razors were recognized as popular electronic gadgets for the modern man. They reduced much of the fuss of keeping well groomed; did not need water and cream; and were safe, convenient, portable, and reliable.
Canadian Jacob Schick invented the electric razor during the 1920’s. Before marketing his invention, he had to wait for an electric motor to be developed that was small enough to fit into a handheld device and had the power to cut through a beard. By 1931, Schick had designed his first marketable razor, which consisted of an oscillating induction motor that drove a sliding cutter mounted inside of a slotted shearing head. That same year, he was granted a U.S. patent for his invention. By the end of 1931, he had sold more than three thousand of his prototype electric razors.
As the market for electric razors expanded, more companies were developing different electric razors, which led to many patent infringements and lawsuits. The Schick Model S was marketed in 1935. Two years later, more than 1.5 million were sold. The Sunbeam Shavemaster, the Rochelle Specialities Electro-Shav, and the Remington Close Shaver were on the market by the end of 1937. The Shavemaster used a universal brush motor with a foil shearing head. The Rolls-Razor Viceroy and Zenith electric razors emerged in Great Britain during the mid-1930’s. In 1939, Royal Philips Electronics, based in the Netherlands, launched the first electric razors that used rotating cutters in the head. This razor was invented by electrical engineer Alexandre Horowitz, originally as a single-headed model known as the Philishave, then as a two-headed model. Cutting areas of the early electric razors were rather small, typically only about one-quarter of the size of modern razors.
Impact
By 1937, more than 1.5 million electric razors were in use, with a market valued at more than $20 million. As a result of their versatility, electric razors became associated as much with travel as with domestic use. By the late 1930’s, they were seen in hotels, trains, ocean liners, and airplanes. They became staples in many people’s beauty repertoires. Gradually, the electric razor became a necessity for most men and women throughout the world.
Bibliography
Levy, Joel. Really Useful: The Origins of Everyday Things. Richmond Hill, Ont.: Firefly Books, 2002.
Zaoui, Myriam, and Eric Malka. The Art of Shaving. New York: Clarkson Potter, 2002.