Luxury Razors

Gillette, originally owned by The Gillette Company, is a leading global supplier of products under various brands, which was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2005. The Gillette Company was founded in 1901 by King C. Gillette, and was based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Gillette created a lot of revolutionnary products through its history, we will check some of the early products.

The Gillette Super Speed razor became popular among those who used safety razors. This model was designed as a TTO razor, TTO meaning ‘Twist to Open’ (as the Gillette Aristocrat), characterised as a set of butterfly doors on the top and a knob on the bottom that opens them. The Super Speed was manufactured from 1940 to 1970. The German company Merkur Solingen, still produces a similar razor, the Merkur Vision 2000. The Super Speed is considered to be Gillette’s crowning achievement, over the years, many models inheritated its design (you can find them on Ebay for instance).

Debuting in 1971, the Trac II was the world’s first two-blade razor. Using the hysteresis effect, Gillette claimed that the second blade cut the number of strokes required in half compared to previous razors, reducing skin irritation. A new model followed, the Trac II Plus is the same as the original, with the adding of a lubricating strip at the top of the blade. This veteran razors are difficult to find, but are still sold.

In 1977, Gillette introduced the Atra, the first razor to feature a pivoting head enabling the blades to “stay on your beard longer for extra closeness“. The pivoting made it easier for men to shave their necks, and also became very popular with women. The Atra Plus was the first razor to add a lubricating strip, dubbed Lubra-Soft strip, softening hairs and acting as a sort of a low-tech aftershave.

Gillette Sensor debuted in 1990 and was the first razor with spring-loaded blades, helping to prevent cuts and allowing for a closer shave. Although this reduces control over the blades by the user, it also reduces the risk of cutting oneself. In 1995, Gillette improved the Sensor and released the Sensor Excel. The Sensor Excel is almost identical to the Sensor, but features “Microfins,” a piece of rubber with slits at the top. Gillette claims that the Microfins help to raise facial hair making for a closer shave.