The History of the Gillette Razor

King Camp Gillette revolutionized shaving when he patented his razor with disposable blades in 1901, a breakthrough inspired by his experience as a traveling salesman and advice to “invent something people use and throw away.” After years of difficulty creating thin, hardened steel, inventor William Nickerson helped produce the first successful Gillette safety razor, which quickly spread nationwide—especially after the U.S. military issued millions of razors during World War I. Though Gillette also promoted bold utopian ideas and pursued other inventions throughout his life, his greatest legacy was innovation that transformed daily living. His story encourages us to be inventive and proactive, echoing Elder M. Russell Ballard’s reminder that the Lord expects us to act, create, and solve problems with inspiration in His Story today.

Read the full article here: https://familyschool.org/spotlight/gillette-razor-5

This episode was created using Notebook LM voice-overs and original research by Rosemary Pollock, historian and published author, who holds an MA in U.S. History and an MA in U.S. History with a focus on the History of Science and Medicine.

Produced by Isaac Okawa with American Heritage Worldwide.