Great Moments in the History of Razors
Most men, and women for that matter, likely don’t think much about the history of razors in the morning while they try to scrape excess hair from their face, legs, and underarms. Nevertheless, the history of razors in civilization is a long and determined one. It may be worth spending a moment pondering that lineage while you try to avoid cutting yourself at 6 in the morning.
Pre-Historic Shaving Rituals
Historians and archeologists have discovered evidence of men shaving their beards with razors going as far back as the so-called cavemen times, starting over 100,000 years to 15 - 18,000 years ago, when people used tools like clam shells, shark teeth, and other natural implements. Some of the most well-preserved, handcrafted artifacts date back to the Bronze Age. Archeologists have found personalized razors in Siberia dating back 4,000 years. The oval-shaped tools were sharpened on both sides and believed to be used to not only shave their faces, but to trim their historic beards to (relative) perfection.
Roman Razors
Between the era of Alexander the Great and the Roman Empire, razors and shaving became more and more associated with culture, class, and to distinguish oneself from the barbarians in the outer regions. Alexander himself was noted as being obsessed with shaving, and as cultural habits often cascaded down from royalty and conquerors, it became habit for used obsidian (volcanic glass) razors to great effect.
Credit: harveyjskincare.com
Straight Razor
Modern razors can trace their origins to the straight razor, or open razor, which first appeared in the annals of shaving in the late 17th century and became de rigueur for barbers. While still in use today, the straight razor is difficult to use, sharpen, and maintain. When alternatives were developed a few hundred years later, most hairy folks didn’t look back.
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Safety Razor
The next great moment in razor history was the safety razors, which began to circulate in the late 19th century. The first major, modern development was the so-called hoe-shaped razor, which fundamentally changed the way the razor was held in one's hand and ushered in the era of the safey razor. But the technological arms race, and booming industry around razors began in the early 20th century when a man named King Gillette (yes, that Gillette) finally perfected disposable blades for these safety razors. A few military contractors, by the the World War I-era insured widespread use of these cheap, sharp, disposable tools towards a smooth shave.
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Electric Razor and Beyond
Razors soon entered the electronic age when Jacob Schick invented the most widely used version of electric razors in the 1920s. Since that time, most of the great moments in razor history have been focused on finding ways for us to spend more money on more blades, fancy handles, and throwback versions of the classics. It has been some time since we've seen true innovation in the development of the ubiquitous razor.
Now you can take heart in your daily routine that many a nicked face and scraped leg came before you, and many landmark achievements helped get you to this place where a smooth shave is a nearly mindless affair.
