King C. Gillette

King C. Gillette
Photograph by Falk, B. J. (1906)
Born
King Camp Gillette

(1855-01-05)January 5, 1855
DiedJuly 9, 1932(1932-07-09) (aged 77)
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Glendale, California
Occupations
Employer(s)Crown Cork & Seal Company
Gillette Safety Razor Company
Known forInventing the double-edged safety razor, co-founding The Gillette Company
Spouse
Alanta Ella Gaines
(m. 1890⁠–⁠1932)
Signature
Patent drawing of the razor

King Camp Gillette (January 5, 1855 – July 9, 1932) was an American businessman who invented a bestselling safety razor.[1] Gillette's innovation was the thin, inexpensive, disposable blade of stamped steel.[2] Gillette is often erroneously credited with inventing the so-called razor and blades business model in which razors are sold cheaply to increase the market for blades.[3] However, Gillette Safety Razor Company adopted the business model from its competitors.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference obit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ US 775134  "Razor"
  3. ^ see, e.g. Martin, Richard (August 6, 2001). "The Razor's Edge". The Industry Standard. Archived from the original on June 25, 2008. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  4. ^ Randal C. Picker, "The Razors-and-Blades Myth(s)", John M. Olin Law & Economics Working Paper No. 532, University of Chicago Law School full text PDF Archived June 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine