The history of the razor is not a short one. For as long as humans have been growing hair, they have been looking for ways to shave it off, which is the same as saying humans have always tried to figure out a way of shaving their hair.

The Ancient Greeks shaved to avoid looking like barbarians. Alexander the Great believed that bearded faces presented a tactical disadvantage in combat, as opponents could grab ahold of the hair. Whatever the reason why, the advent of the original razor can be dated back to prehistoric times, but it wasn’t until much later, in the 18^th century in Sheffield, England, that the razor’s history as we know it today really began.

In the 1700s and 1800s Sheffield was known as the cutlery capital of the world, and while generally we avoid mixing silverware and shaving implements, it was also where the modern straight razor was invented. Still, these razors, while unquestionably better than their predecessors, were still somewhat unwieldy, expensive, and difficult to use and maintain. For the most part, at this time, razors were still mostly the tool of professional barbers. Then, in the late 19^th century, the introduction of a new type of razor changed everything.

The first safety razors were introduced in the United States in 1880. These early safety razors were one-sided and resembled a tiny hoe, and they had a steel guard along one edge to help protect from cuts. Then, in 1895, King C. Gillette introduced his own version of the safety razor, with the main difference being the introduction of a disposable, double-edged razor blade. Gilette’s blades were cheap, so cheap in fact that it was often more expensive to try to maintain the blades of the old safety razors than it was to buy new blades.