What product did King Camp Gillette patent in 1904?

At the turn of the 20th century, shaving was often a cumbersome and potentially dangerous daily ritual, typically performed with a straight razor that required frequent sharpening by a barber or a skilled individual. King Camp Gillette, a traveling salesman, envisioned a more convenient and safer alternative. His frustration with dull blades led him to conceive of a razor with a disposable blade that could be easily replaced when it lost its edge.

Gillette filed a patent for his groundbreaking innovation in 1901, and on November 15, 1904, he and his partner, William Emery Nickerson, were awarded U.S. Patent No. 775,134 for their "Safety Razor." This ingenious device featured a double-edged, replaceable blade clamped securely between a handle and a guard. The guard shielded the skin from direct contact with the sharp edge, drastically reducing the risk of cuts and making self-shaving accessible and safe for the average person at home.

The brilliance of Gillette's design lay in its simplicity, affordability, and convenience. The blades could be mass-produced from thin, inexpensive stamped steel, eliminating the need for stropping and honing. This not only made shaving safer but also significantly more economical over time. The "razor and blades" business model, where the razor handle was sold at a low price to encourage recurring sales of disposable blades, proved incredibly successful and became a precursor to many modern subscription services. The widespread adoption of the safety razor, particularly after the U.S. military included them in soldiers' gear kits during World War I, transformed personal grooming habits globally, making Gillette's invention a household name.