Luxury Razors

Pocter & Gamble Co. gave its top executive a very “special” bonus worth $3.5 million for his “strategic vision” in the acquisition and integration of Boston’s Gillette Co. The Cincinnati-based company made the “special equity award” in the form of restricted stock, to Chairman and Chief Executive A.G. Lafley on Feb. 10, according to a regulatory filing yesterday.

“The acquisition was the largest and most successful in the company’s history” said P&G, which purchased razor-maker Gillette in 2005 for $54 billion.

P&G, which recently cut its profit and sales forecast, waited until now to grant the bonus to make sure that savings goals tied to the Gillette takeover had been reached, company spokesman Paul Fox said. He said the bonus was “not unusual”. P&G’s finance chief, Clayton C. Daley Jr., got a $1.5 million special equity award for his “integral role in the valuation, negotiation and acquisition” of Gillette, according to an Aug. 12 regulatory filing.

Earlier that month, P&G said it would cut 215 jobs at its Gillette South Boston plant by mid-2013 and close a Devens warehouse staffed by about 400 contractors. Former Gillette CEO James Kilts drew heavy fire over the $165 million payout he got for selling the Hub manufacturing icon.

In these times of crisis, it’s hard to read such bonuses when jobs have been cut.

I’ve just received an invitation to try the new Gillette’s shave care range. If you are interested about this offer, try your change to win the ultimate shaving experience

Razors have been a part of human invention since the dawn of time and while the basic social implications associated with human hair removal have changed very little, the tools used in the grooming technique have advanced greatly.

Since prehistoric times, men and women have been removing hair from their bodies. The history of razors and shaving dates all the way back to 30,000 B.C. Many of the earliest forms of hair removal were related to other body modification rituals, including piercing and body art. For many primitive tribes, hair removal could be seen as a form of tribal status and wealth. Nowadays, hair removal has become much more a part of vanity grooming, with various social stigmas being attached to different types of hair removal.
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This is a little story from India Infoline, related to a study done on men’s shaving habits and preferences by AC Nielsen and Gillette. The results might indeed shock you: It’s not about the fact that “93% [of] men like to be clean shaven in India and 80% of men feel more handsome after shaving”, it’ about the next two findings:

• Women in Chennai (97% of them) agree that men are more likely to be caught by bouncers if they are unshaven more than other towns.
• 85% of women from Bangalore agree that unshaven men are lazy more than most towns.

This is just being ridiculous! What kind of study is that? Is it because Gillette has made too much profits and it’s looking to waste some capital in worthless studies? (more…)

Gillette released in 2006 the Gillette Fusion shaving razor collection which represents the pinnacle of shaving and razor innovation. These exceptional razors are the most advanced generation of razors from Gillette and have been released with a new and ingenious five-bladed design. The Gillette fusion razor has five PowerGlide blades that are spaced closely together, to distribute the shaving force accross every inch of the razor blades to reduce pressure for an extraordinarily comfortable and close shave. Each Gillette Fusion Razor comes with a state of the art Lubrastrip indicator and a specially designed flexible comfort grip guard. The Lubrastrip is packed full of Vitamin E and Aloe Vera complimenting perfectly with naturally created oils to care and nurture your skin.

Here are a few of these great razors:

Taylor Gillette Fusion Edwardian Black Razor

Taylor Gillette Fusion Edwardian Black Razor - Price: £79.99

Brought to you courtesy of the world famous shaving manufacturer Taylor of Old Bond street, this razor really does mean business. Etched across its handle surface in a delicate silver, the Taylor of Old Bond street logo stands proud and strong. With its nickel trim and finishing touches this razor really is a thing of beauty.

The handle itself here has been painstaking hand crafted to ensure that there is only superb weight distribution and grip, both of which enable the user to attain the closest and best shave they’ve ever had. Price: £79.99

Art of Shaving Gillette Fusion Power Razor

Art of Shaving Gillette Fusion Power Razor - Price: £120.00

Fusion Chrome Collection combines advanced Gillette technologies with The Art of Shaving quality and craftsmanship to achieve the ultimate shaving experience.

The Fusion Chrome Collection POWER RAZOR is perfectly balanced and weighted to feel like a natural extension of your hand, maximizing stability and control. Gentle micro-pulses reduce friction and increase razor glide. The built-in spotlight, the first of its kind, reveals details normally in shadow—such as under the chin and jaw line—to help you avoid missed spots and make every stroke count. The sleek, contemporary handle is an ideal combination of ergonomics and innovative design, handcrafted in polished chrome and wrapped in a matte black, thermo-resin grip. Price: £120.00

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.

Since the company’s creation, Gillette has introduced a number of technologies that are now a part of almost every razor:

- 1895: Gillette Safety Razor was invented in 1895 and patented in 1904 in America (Europe has its own safety razor creation around the same time)
- 1916: Razor marketed specifically to women, named Milady Décolletée
- 1946: Razor dispenser
- 1963: Stainless Steel blades, named Super Stainless
- 1971: Double-blade razor, the Trac II using the hysteresis effect
- 1976: Disposable double-blade razor, the Good News!
- 1977: Razor with a pivot point, the Atra
- 1985: Razor with a lubricating strip, the Atra Plus
- 1990: Razor with spring-loaded blades, named the Sensor
- 1995: Razor with microfins, the Sensor Excel
- 1998: Razor with three blades, the Mach3
- 2004: Manual Razor with battery power, the M3Power
- 2007: Razor with five blades, titled the Fusion
- 2008: Razor with rear trim blade Fusion

We will see soon a recap about the history behind the Gillette’s manufacturer.